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GILGIT, May 11 2004: Mrs Margaret Huber, the High Commissioner of Canada has said that her government is taking interest in the development of Northern Areas of Pakistan and assured to continue support for social sector reforms in the region. This, she stated, during her visit to Gilgit on Monday where she was briefed by Hafizur Rehman, NAs Advisor for Education, Finance and Revenue about the on going various uplift projects in Gilgit and Ghizer districts. He also apprised the visiting dignitary about the ongoing health, culture and education projects in the districts and sought assistance of the Canadian government to initiate more projects. -APP AKCSP asked to vacate Ganish Fort in Hunza GILGIT, May 11 2004: The residents of Ganish town in Hunza have asked the Aga Khan Culture Service Pakistan to vacate a 700-year- old fort which was being brought under AKCSP control in the name of renovation. The heirs of the Ganish Fort argued that the AKCSP took possession of their fort illegally and without their permission. "A large number of tourists are visiting the fort every year, but the proceeds earned through tourism are not being paid to its legal heirs," they said. They contended that the AKCSP renovated the Baltut Fort, Shigar Forts and Altit Fort with the prior consent of their legal heirs while in the case of Ganish Fort the procedure was never followed. Tehran Times May 8, 2004 Rumsfeld Under Pressure to Resign Over Iraqi Prisoner-Abuse Scandal WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Pressure for US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to resign over the Iraqi prisoner-abuse scandal mounted on Friday, with the New York Times saying he should go because of a growing arrogance that has badly tarnished the United States' image. "The world is waiting now for a sign that President (George W.) Bush understands the seriousness of what has happened. ... Mr. Bush should start showing the state of his own heart by demanding the resignation of his secretary of defense." The paper, which has been increasingly critical of the US occupation of Iraq, said Rumsfeld bears "personal responsibility" for the photographed abuses of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad. "The United States has been humiliated to a point where government officials could not release this year's international human rights report this week for fear of being scoffed at by the rest of the world," it said. "The reputation of its brave soldiers has been tarred, and the job of its diplomats made immeasurably harder because members of the American military tortured and humiliated Arab prisoners in ways guaranteed to inflame Muslim hearts everywhere." The paper added that the reported abuses were not an isolated event and delivered a harsh personal attack on Rumsfeld as an official who has gone from "supreme confidence to arrogance, then to almost willful blindness" on Iraq. The Times said that if Rumsfeld does leave, his deputy Paul Wolfowitz would not be an acceptable replacement, as he was a prime architect of last year's invasion to topple Saddam Hussein. "It is long past time for a new team and new thinking at the Department of Defense," the paper said. It was the latest call for the resignation of Rumsfeld, who was due to testify before Congress Friday on the growing prisoner scandal and allegations of a coverup. Several members of Congress have called for his head, as have the Boston Globe and other newspapers. The influential British magazine The Economist put a call for his resignation on its front page. But the Chicago Tribune newspaper said the facts had to be established first, while other dailies, such as the suburban New York newspaper Newsday, said the final verdict on the Bush administration would come in November's election. Bush has publicly rebuked Rumsfeld for not informing him sooner of the magnitude of the scandal but has vowed to keep him on. UK Forces Taught Torture Methods LONDON (The Guardian) -- The sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison was not an invention of maverick guards, but part of a system of ill-treatment and degradation used by special forces soldiers that is now being disseminated among ordinary troops and contractors who do not know what they are doing, according to British military sources. The techniques devised in the system, called R2I - resistance to interrogation - match the crude exploitation and abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad. One former British special forces officer who returned last week from Iraq, said: "It was clear from discussions with U.S. private contractors in Iraq that the prison guards were using R2I techniques, but they didn't know what they were doing." He said British and U.S. military intelligence soldiers were trained in these techniques, which were taught at the joint services interrogation centre in Ashford, Kent, now transferred to the former U.S. base at Chicksands. "There is a reservoir of knowledge about these interrogation techniques which is retained by former special forces soldiers who are being rehired as private contractors in Iraq. Contractors are bringing in their old friends". Using sexual jibes and degradation, along with stripping naked, is one of the methods taught on both sides of the Atlantic under the slogan "prolong the shock of capture", he said. Female guards were used to taunt male prisoners sexually and at British training sessions when female candidates were undergoing resistance training they would be subject to lesbian jibes. "Most people just laugh that off during mock training exercises, but the whole experience is horrible. Two of my colleagues couldn't cope with the training at the time. One walked out saying 'I've had enough', and the other had a breakdown. It's exceedingly disturbing," said the former Special Boat Squadron officer, who asked that his identity be withheld for security reasons. Many British and U.S. special forces soldiers learn about the degradation techniques because they are subjected to them to help them resist if captured. They include soldiers from the SAS, SBS, most air pilots, paratroopers and members of pathfinder platoons. A number of commercial firms which have been supplying interrogators to the U.S. army in Iraq boast of hiring former U.S. special forces soldiers, such as Navy Seals. "The crucial difference from Iraq is that frontline soldiers who are made to experience R2I techniques themselves develop empathy. They realize the suffering they are causing. But people who haven't undergone this don't realize what they are doing to people. It's a shambles in Iraq". The British former officer said the dissemination of R2I techniques inside Iraq was all the more dangerous because of the general mood among American troops. "The feeling among US soldiers I've spoken to in the last week is also that 'the gloves are off'. Many of them still think they are dealing with people responsible for 9/11". When the interrogation techniques are used on British soldiers for training purposes, they are subject to a strict 48-hour time limit, and a supervisor and a psychologist are always present. It is recognised that in inexperienced hands, prisoners can be plunged into psychosis. The spectrum of R2I techniques also includes keeping prisoners naked most of the time. This is what the Abu Ghraib photographs show, along with inmates being forced to crawl on a leash; forced to masturbate in front of a female soldier; mimic oral sex with other male prisoners; and form piles of naked, hooded men. The full battery of methods includes hooding, sleep deprivation, time disorientation and depriving prisoners not only of dignity, but of fundamental human needs, such as warmth, water and food. The US commander in charge of military jails in Iraq, Major General Geoffrey Miller, has confirmed that a battery of 50-odd special "coercive techniques" can be used against enemy detainees. The general, who previously ran the prison camp at Guant?namo Bay, said his main role was to extract as much intelligence as possible. Interrogation experts at Abu Ghraib prison were there to help make the prison staff "more able to garner intelligence as rapidly as possible". Sleep deprivation and stripping naked were techniques that could now only be authorised at general officer level, he said. BNF REMARKS: Is this USA, UK and Coliation countries freedom OR Human Rights, what they have been teaching to the world and blaiming others? Now, we the people, who morally support USA war against terrorism, have no moral right to call this inhuman (like wild animals) act of Americans and British citizens in Iraq, as freedom or democracy. After this revealition there is no room for moderate Muslims or even a civilized community to support USA. Is this American and British culture to humiliate human beings? Is this American and British civilization, is this American and British FREDOM of Iraq? All after this, a civilized person (humanbeing) can ask, what was the fault of Saddam Hussain? Did Saddam humiliated humanbeing in this manner? Is this the discovery of Bush's WMD in Abu-Gharib Jail? After the revealition of Americans and British modern concept/Technique of investigation/introgation, one can imagine as a humanbeing (if he/she is) about the Americans treatment with Saddam Hussain, God forbid. What is the moral/legal duty of Human Rights Organization, International Red Cross and United Nations, where Americans and Britishers are teaching their citizens to humiliate humanbeings, by terming it as modern technique,while no one can expect such acts from wild or pet animals. We the humanbeing feel shame for this. Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 09:10:36 -0400 Rejection of public demand criticized: Increase in NALC seats: By Our Reporter ISLAMABAD, April 29th 2004: The Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC) member from Hunza, Wazir Baig, on Thursday criticized the Chief Executive of Northern Areas, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao , for rejecting the proposal of an increase in the NALC seats and delimitation of constituencies. Talking to a delegation of dignitaries and political figures from the region here on Thursday, the NALC member termed the decision a mockery and contempt of the popular will. He said the decision, taken at a recent cabinet meeting in Gilgit by the federal minister for Kashmir affairs and northern areas, ignoring the elected representatives and popular demand, was not only against the democratic norms but also negation of the people's mandate. The minister, Mr Baig observed, had taken the decision on the ill-advice of some local bureaucrats who did not want an increase in the seats of some bigger and overpopulated constituencies and see the democratic institutions strengthened. Mr Baig said it was a sheer discrimination and injustice with the people of those constituencies whose population was four times more than those having a population of only 10,000 but who had both equal representation in the council. The PPP member maintained that it was a longstanding demand of the people of bigger constituencies to increase their seats in the council on the basis of population. He recalled that the council after extensive debate on the issue had approved with an overwhelming majority the recommendations of the standing committee for an increase in seats and age limit for voters before the October elections. He urged President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to intervene in the matter and order an increase in the legislative council seats and remove the sense of deprivation growing among the people. Mr Baig believed that it was a conspiracy aimed to make the government unpopular among the people of the Northern Areas and open up a new front for the government. CHITRALI GIRLS ABUSE CHITRAL: Exploitation of Kalash people alleged By Our Correspondent CHITRAL, April 24: The Save Kalash Culture Society has criticized the sending of local girls to Islamabad and Peshawar for dancing and appealed to the NWFP chief minister to ensure that the honour of the minorities is upheld.The president of the society, Mr Wazirzada, alleged that the rulers were exploiting the poor people of Kalash Valley.He said the government had taken away seven girls of the community to make them dance in official functions in Peshawar, Islamabad and elsewhere. He said the wife of President Gen Pervez Musharraf had called 19 girls to Islamabad in January, reportedly to dance at a function held for foreign guests. He said President Musharraf enjoyed watching the Kalash dance but he never gave any funds for the development of the valley, where people remained deprived of basic amenities.He said the society's members had stopped the government from taking girls to Islamabad for performing at the concluding ceremLony of the South Asian games. BNF NOTE: This is not strange for the Pathans of NWFP particularly and Pakistanis usually, to present girls before the rascal foreigners i.e Gulf Sheikhs besides European and other people, who visit Pakistan. The aim behind this shamefull game is to get more and more funds from the visitors for themselves not for the dancing girls of Kalash and others. The present government of NWFP, which claims to be Islamic, must feel shame and apologize from the whole area of Chitral. Kalash people are indigenous, but poor and strictly bond to their culture and religion. But, the successive governments of this province have always been exploiting the culture and religion of these non-muslim people of Kalash. Many were forced to change their religion by the extremist government of Late General and other Pakistani governments with the help of Tablighis (Preacher of Islam) . Though Islam does not permit, to convert Non-Muslims in to Islam by force or by bribe. and other religious Political parties, like Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamaat-e-Ulma-e-Islam. GILGIT, April 21 2004 A joint team of Pakistan and China will arrive here from Islamabad to investigate into an alleged arms smuggling into Chinese territories last week, Northern Areas official spokesman Saeed Ahmed Khan said. Mr Khan, who is also Northern Areas home secretary, said that over seven kalashnikov assault rifles and 30 bore pistols along with boxes of rounds were allegedly smuggled into China on Chinese trucks. The arms and ammunition were reportedly purchased from Peshawar and smuggled into China by hiding them in secret cavities of the trucks which were returning to China after off-loading the imported goods at Sust customs check point, he said. Mr Khan said that the weapons were caught in China which were reportedly being supplied to the Islamic rebels in Kashgher territory, which borders Pakistan. He said Chinese authorities had arrested the truck drivers. DEMAND: The NWFP government has demanded of the Northern Areas administration to send back the Frontier Constabulary personnel to deploy them as reinforcement to the ongoing operation against Al Qaeda suspects in South Waziristan Agency. Sources said that over 2,000 FC men were deployed in the Northern Areas to keep law and order since early 90s. The sources said that the administration had expressed its inability to comply with the demands of the NWFP government given the sensitivity and the sectarian-ridden environment in the region. Check posts: The Northern Areas police chief, Sakhiullah Tareen, has claimed that police had set up check posts in Diamer on KKH and in Ghizer district to halt smuggling. NEWS Home page |
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