No Threat to Shrimp Export to USA France gave passports to help Iraqis escape: US paper Greek aid convoy attacked outside Baghdad Nigeria: Nine killed in elections to state assemblies
Iraq: Amnesty International urges Bush and Blair to intervene in relation to "disappeared" More News
Union Cabinet decides to grant dual citizenship
New Delhi,Tuesday, May 06, 2003: The Union Cabinet tonight decided to grant dual citizenship to Indians living in the United States, the United Kingdom and six other countries. "Indians living there will have to apply for dual citizenships and government could grant it after due verification," arlaiamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet lasting over an hour. They would not have the privilege of voting rights and would not be allowed to hold constitutional offices or jobs in three Defence services, she said.
Centre to ask for comprehensive report from Kerala Govt: Swami
Kozhikode,Tuesday, May 06, 2003: Centre will seek a comprehensive report from the UDF Government in Kerala on the sudden attack by unidentified assailants at Marad on Friday that left nine persons dead, Union Minister of State for Home I D Swami said here today.
While he would submit his assessment to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who also holds the Home portfolio, on his return, the State Government would be asked to provide a comprehensive report on the incident, Swami told reporters. Swami, who visited the violence-hit areas yesterday, reiterated that involvement of Pakistan's ISI could not be ruled out in the attack.
The Centre was receiving regular inputs on its activities in various parts of the country. In the last three years, about 160 ISI module had been busted in the country, he said. "However, only a detailed probe will help establish the suspected ISI links (in the Marad incident)," he added.
Although the issue of setting up a Federal Agency to effectively deal with extremist activities was discussed every year during the Chief Ministers' meet, a consensus was yet to be arrived on it, he said. The Centre was also formulating a scheme to safeguard the about 6000-km coastal belt in the country against violent activities, Swami said.
No Threat to Shrimp Export to USA
There is no threat in export of Indian shrimp to the USA. The "ban" imposed by the USA on countries such as India for not making Turtle Excluder Device (TED) mandatory is not a new one, but one continuing from 1996. This ban does not apply to aquaculture shrimp and shrimp caught by traditional means, which constitute 80% by value of the shrimp produced in India. Export of this shrimp to USA on the basis of consignment wise certificate issued by Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) continues even now.
In fact, total Indian marine product exports to the U.S (constituting mainly shrimp), which was just US $ 148 million 4 years ago has shot up to US $ 299 million in 2001-02. In 2002-03, it is estimated to have gone up to US $ 319 million thus accounting for 28% of the total marine products exports from India. USA for the first time in 20 years as on 2002-03 has over taken Japan as the largest market for Indian marine products.
Marine products exports from India during 2002-03 is estimated to be US $1369 million (Rs. 6595 crore) an increase of 9.3% over the US $ 1253 million (Rs. 5957 crore) in 2001-02. This has been possible mainly on account of the excellent growth in exports to USA, particularly of shrimp, as well as increased value addition. (keralamonitor.com)
France gave passports to help Iraqis escape: US paperWASHINGTON, May 6 - The French government secretly supplied fleeing Iraqi officials with passports in Syria that allowed them to escape to Europe, The Washington Times reported Tuesday. An unknown number of Iraqis who worked for Saddam Hussein's government were given passports by French officials in Syria, the report quoted US intelligence officials as saying.
The passports are regarded as documents of the European Union, because of France's membership in the union, and have helped the Iraqis avoid capture, said the officials.
The French support, which was revealed through sensitive intelligence-gathering means, angered Pentagon, State Department and intelligence officials in Washington because it undermined thesearch for senior aides to Saddam, who fled Iraq in large numbers after the fall of Baghdad on April 9, the report said. "It made it very difficult to track these people," one Bush administration official said.
A second Bush administration official said, "It's like Raoul Wallenberg in reverse," a reference to the Swedish diplomat who supplied travel documents to help Jews escape Nazi Germany in World War II. "Now you have the French helping the bad guys escapefrom us."
Asked about the passports, Nathalie Loiseau, a spokeswoman for the French Embassy in Washington, said French authorities have notissued any visas to officials of the former Iraqi regime since thebeginning of the war in Iraq, either in Syria or elsewhere.
"France formally denies this type of allegation, which is not only contrary to reality but is intended to discredit our nation,"she said. "It is certainly time for rumors of this type -- totallyunfounded and a dishonor to those who spread them -- to stop." (keralamonitor.com)
Greek aid convoy attacked outside Baghdad
A Greek convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Baghdad was attacked some 90 kilometers away from the Iraqi capital on Monday, Greek foreign ministry press release said.
The convoy was headed by Greek Ambassador to Iraq Glaridis, whose jeep was fired upon twice in an effort to immobilize it but no one was injured, the press release said.
The press released said Glaridis reported the event to Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos, noting to him that the group composed of three members of the Greek NGO "Greek Rescue Team" andthe Greek mission to the country reached Baghdad safely.
NIGERIA: Nine killed in elections to state assemblies
LAGOS, 6 May (IRIN) At least nine people, including a senior government official, were killed in violence related to the elections for Nigeria's 36 state legislatures at the weekend, police said on Tuesday.
President Olusegun Obasanjo's ruling People's Democratic Party has won a majority in 18 of the 24 states declared so far, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, several local and international monitoring groups have reported that the poll, like a series of national and state elections held in April, was riddled with fraud.
Police said four people were killed by a mob in the town of Toto in Nasarawa State in central Nigeria during Saturday's elections, including Memuna Katai, the state's commissioner (minister) for women's affairs. Four people also died in a series of clashes between the supporters of rival parties in the southern Delta State and a soldier was shot dead by a bow and arrow in Yandang Kareji village in Adamwa state in the northeast when he tried to prevent youths from voting several times, they added.
The Transition Monitoring Group, a coalition of Nigerian civic organisations which deployed 10,000 monitors across the country during Saturday's vote, reported widespread cases of ballot box stuffing, multiple voting, falsification of results and voter intimidation.
It said fraud and intimidation was particularly widespread in southeastern Nigeria, where the worst abuses were also reported in elections for members of the national parliament, state governors and the national president last month.
A European Union observer group also reported widespread malpractices in the southeast. "The elections in in these states lacked credibility and the level of fraud effectively disenfranchised a considerable number of voters, " the EU monitors said, blaming a variety of parties and individuals for the irregularities.
INEC spokesman Steve Osemeke dismissed criticisms levied by the EU monitors. "We appreciate constructive criticism which will help our performance," he said, "but with only 119 people (as monitors) the EU cannot speak authoritatively."
