Protest in front of French and US embassies -Pygmies demand a tribunal for crimes against them in Ituri -SUDAN: Peace talks resume after brief interlude -Internet vs. Print Media - Which is better?  Tourism Rate Hits Record Despite Terrorism, U.N. Agency Says -Sexual Abuse of Girls by Elders Causing AIDS Spread

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Intelligence report on Hidden Iraqi Weapons programmes

Washington - January 28, 2003 U.S. President George W. Bush's administration may as early as next week release intelligence indicating Iraq has been actively hiding weapons activity from U.N. inspectors, according to sources cited today by the Washington Post. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday that Washington has "several pieces of information" that "show Iraq maintains prohibited weapons" and that could be released "next week or soon after."

In one example cited by the Post of alleged Iraqi concealment activities, a high Iraqi official reportedly warned employees at a site that inspectors were coming and ordered them to conceal banned weapons. In another case, an Iraqi official allegedly told scientists and others involved in chemical and biological weapons research to hide files and papers from inspectors (Bob Woodward, Washington Post, Jan. 28).

Schwarzkopf Skeptical Of Attack

Norman Schwarzkopf, who led U.S. forces against Iraq in the 1991 Gulf War, is skeptical about possible U.S. plans to again attack Iraq. "I don't know what intelligence the U.S. government has. And before I can just stand up and say, 'Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we need to invade Iraq,' I guess I would like to have better information." Unless more information is produced, Schwarzkopf supports allowing U.N. weapons inspectors more time to investigate. "I think it is very important for us to wait and see what the inspectors come up with, and hopefully they come up with something conclusive" (Thomas Ricks, Washington Post, Jan. 28).

Butler Blasts "Shocking" U.S. "Double Standards"

Former U.N. arms inspector Richard Butler said today that the United States is practicing "shocking double standards" by considering a unilateral attack on Iraq. Although he said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, Butler said a U.S. strike outside the United Nations and in the absence of an effort to stem weapons of mass destruction worldwide would violate international law and increase Arab-Western tensions.

"The spectacle of the United States, armed with its weapons of mass destruction, acting without Security Council authority to invade a country in the heartland of Arabia and, if necessary, use its weapons of mass destruction to win that battle, is something that will so deeply violate any notion of fairness in this world that I strongly suspect it could set loose forces that we would deeply live to regret," Butler said (Reuters, Jan. 28).

Bush is meeting this week with world leaders including Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and British Prime Minister Tony Blair to argue for using force against Iraq, Associated Press reports, adding that a decision to go to war could come as early as next week.

Powell said yesterday that "time is running out" for Iraq. "What we can't do is just keep kicking the can down the road in the absence of a change in policy and attitude" in Iraq, he said. "We will have our discussions and consultations this week, and then we will announce next steps at an appropriate time" (Barry Schweid, AP/Yahoo! News, Jan. 28).British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Iraq is already in "material breach" of Security Council Resolution 1441.

"The chances of this being resolved by peaceful means are less than they were because of Iraq's unbelievable refusal properly to comply with the terms of this resolution," Straw said. "There is still an opportunity for Iraq to comply, but it is an opportunity for Iraq, not anybody else. They have to seize this opportunity. I'm sorry to say the evidence in the past suggests that once again, they will think game-playing, deception, concealment, delay are an adequate alternative to compliance. They are not" (CNN.com, Jan. 28).

Speaking to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. yesterday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz promised increased cooperation with U.N. inspectors but stressed that only two subjects -- U-2 surveillance flights and interviews of Iraqi scientists -- are causing friction between Baghdad and the inspectors.

Aziz also warned the United States against attacking. "If the Americans try to invade Iraq, they will be fought courageously and effectively, and they will have a great number of casualties," he said. "The Americans are cheating (deceiving) themselves that they will be received with flowers. They will be received with bullets, not flowers. We have distributed hundreds of thousands of pieces of arms (firearms), and we are confident." The deputy prime minister said an attack on U.S. territory is not planned but added, "Kuwait is a battlefield, and American troops are in Kuwait and preparing themselves to attack Iraq. If there will be an attack from Kuwait, I cannot say that we will not retaliate" (David Ljunggren, Reuters, Jan. 28).

Reports yesterday by Hans Blix, chairman of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, have done little to change any minds on the Security Council on the need to disarm Iraq by force or to give the inspectors more time. Speaking with reporters after their closed-door consultations yesterday, council diplomats emphasized the parts of the reports that supported their positions.

U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said after the council was briefed, "Iraq is back to business as usual. The danger is that the council may return to business as usual as well." U.K. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock called the reports "a catalogue of unresolved questions." "It's not a matter of time, it's a matter of attitude. The attitude we are getting from the Iraqis at the moment is just not sufficient for the eradication of the programs that we know about," Greenstock added.

Those council members who have argued for more time continued to press that case. French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere said, "We need now more active cooperation from Iraq and we need more time. ... It could be several weeks, it could be a few months." As long as inspections are "producing results," he said, "they should go on."

Russian Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said, "The main conclusion, which we heard, is that all these new finds, documents and physical evidence do not change the basic assumption under which [the inspectors] are working -- that they don't have any evidence that Iraq has resumed its weapons of mass destruction program nor can they assert that all of these programs are stopped." He added that Iraq "is trying to cooperate actively and should be encouraged."

Deputy Ambassador Zhang Yishan of China said that while "there are some doubts to be cleared ... this process needs to continue, and more time is needed for the inspectors." He added, "Since we have started this process and there is no clear reason to stop it, we should continue." France, Russia and China, as well as the United States and United Kingdom, all have veto power on the council.

Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany said, "We have just sharpened the tool of inspections, never before have the inspectors been so powerful. ... [it] should be used to the full, and we should give the inspectors a realistic opportunity to achieve their goals in a peaceful manner." Germany will be president of the council in February and Pleuger has already said he wants another update from inspectors on Feb. 14.

The United States has lately cited South Africa's elimination of its nuclear weapons program in the last days of apartheid as an exemplary case of disarmament. South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo said yesterday, "Rather than use South Africa as an example, please note that with ... absolute voluntary cooperation, it still took two years for inspectors to be satisfied that South Africa really did not have weapons of mass destruction. In this case, who knows how long it will take." "What will convince me that Iraq is not cooperating would be when [Blix and ElBaradei come to the council] and say 'we are giving up, Iraq is not cooperating,'" Kumalo added. "They didn't say that" (Jim Wurst, UN Wire, Jan. 28). -keralamonitor.com

Iraq: Amensty Secretary General questions Powell

26 January 2003

How does the threat which Iraq poses today weigh against the threat that American military action poses for human rights and innocent lives in the Middle East?, Amnesty International's Secretary General asked Colin Powell today. Listening to the US Secretary of State address the World Economic Forum, Irene Khan voiced the concern of many civil society groups, that the humanitarian situation in Iraq is extremely fragile after a decade of sanctions and serious human rights violations by the Iraqi regime. "Military action could easily precipitate a huge disaster. As in 1991, there might be a million refugees again and a humanitarian nightmare if Iran and Turkey keep their borders closed, as they have vowed they will," Ms Khan added.

In addition, Ms Khan cautioned about the risk of reprisals within Iraq. "Knowing the way Saddam treats his people when he is cornered, it's very possible there could be an internal bloodbath," Ms Khan said. "This is not just conjecture -- it has happened before and it could happen again." The effect of military action in Iraq would not be limited to that country. Ms Khan warned of a "ripple effect elsewhere -- an escalation of the Middle East conflict and protest and violence in other Muslim countries, threatening many lives." Amnesty International believes that sacrificing the human rights of people for the sake of geopolitics is unacceptable. (

Egyptian coalition mobilizes against Circumcision that harms women and girls

Monday, 27 January 2003: The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) and UNDP are spearheading a coalition of national and international organizations in Egypt in a campaign to stop a practice that blights the lives of millions of women. Female genital mutilation (FGM), sometimes known as female circumcision, is still widespread in areas of Africa and the Middle East, including Egypt. Surveys have found that 97 per cent of Egyptian women have undergone the practice.

The three-year US$2.6 million initiative seeks to end FGM in 60 villages in six governorates in Upper Egypt. The campaign faces tough challenges in trying to change social attitudes, however. FGM is deeply rooted in tradition and popular beliefs. Many families believe the practice will preserve the chastity of young women and stop promiscuous behaviour.

"The truth is that FGM is based on popular myths, has no roots in any religion, and in fact causes many long- term physical and psychological problems for women, while undermining their quality of life and sense of fulfillment," said Antonio Vigilante, UNDP Resident Representative. National authorities together with civil society groups and human rights activists have struggled for years to eliminate the practice, and the project adds to this momentum at a time when many laws and policies are under review.

The initiative aims overcome community peer pressure and convince families not to subject their girls to FGM. It will use various education and training approaches to reach out to families, community leaders, health workers and religious leaders, encouraging them to work together to eliminate the practice. The campaign will also air broadcasts on national television and radio. The project will promote networking among local civil society groups, community leaders, the NCCM and government agencies. After the project's strategies are tested and evaluated, it will use successful approaches to reach out to more villages.

For many years, donors in Egypt have been united in condemning the practice, noted Mr. Vigilante, who chairs the Donor Assistance Group. "The FGM project challenged donors to undertake a joint programme," he said. "They have advocated against this harmful practice and now they are practicing what they preach and joining to support the project now that the national institutions have taken the lead." For further information please contact Dina el Naggar, UNDP Egypt, or Nadine Shamounki, UNDP Communications Office.

IRAQ: U.N. Weapons Inspectors Deliver Critical Report To Security Council
The chief U.N. weapons inspectors this morning were critical of Iraq's cooperation in providing information about its programs for weapons of mass destruction but said they needed more time to come to any definitive conclusions. The United States responded with impatience, but said it still hopes the situation can be resolved peacefully.

27 January 2003

Intersec 2003 Show Opens at DWTC

More than 200 exhibitors showcase the latest state-of-art technologies
and services in the security, Police, safety, fire and rescue

Major General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commandant General of Dubai Police,
yesterday (Monday) performed the official inauguration of the three-day
InterSec 2003 event, the fifth International Exhibition of Commercial Security,
Fire and Safety, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

After cutting the traditional ribbon, Major General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim,
toured the exhibition, accompanied by Mr. Justin Boutros, Managing Director
of organising company Channels LLC and some diplomats and officials. The
guest of honour showed much interest in the safety and security products
and services on show, many of them available for the first time in the
Middle East markets.

Exhibits at Intersec 2003 include a wide range of the latest fire fighting
and fire alarm systems, electronic detectors and the most advanced and
sophisticated control systems used in commercial buildings. Also on display
will be entry control systems, building protection equipment, emergency
installations and security control networks. Providers of data security
programs and safes in addition to e-commerce protection programs will also
exhibit their programs at the show.

The Fire, Safety, Security and Rescue Conference running alongside Intersec
2003 started yesterday as well. Expert speakers from around the world are
conducting specialised lectures on major security and safety issues. Some
of the issues covered in the conference include the decision making on
independent and internal guarding services, getting adapted to new legalisations,
occupational health, developments in fire fighting equipments and techniques,
repeated crime and crime prevention, screening technology, and much more.

Technology in this sector is developing at an exceptional rate, and safety
and security concerns are increasingly important for sensitive businesses
such as oil and gas, chemicals, transforming industries, banking and financial
institutions, as well as tourism and public facilities. Increasingly, companies
and institutions are making sure that they have the safest equipment available,
and that it is operated in line with the highest standards of safety and
security.

InterSec 2003 features 5 national pavilions from the UK, Austria, South
Africa, China and Korea in addition to many individual companies from France,
Germany, Italy, Malaysia, India, Kuwait, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan
and Turkey. A host of UAE companies are also taking part in the event.

Many prominent companies in the show are launching exciting products and
services that are available for the first time in the region. Visitors
at InterSec will find there the latest and technologically most advanced
products in the market.

Mr. Boutros, Managing Director of organising company Channels Exhibitions,
described Intersec 2003 as an important event for managers who are responsible
for fire, security and safety in government departments, for businesses
and traders, and for senior managers in different economic sectors such
as manufacturing, oil refining, trading, construction, seaports and airports,
banks, hotels, hospitals, housing, small businesses and others.

The exhibition remains open for professional visitors until Wednesday,
every day from 10.30 am till 7:30 pm.