NATO admits killing Libyan rebels undeliberately

NATO had admitted that it had mistakenly hit rebel military vehicles at oil town of Brega, mistaken it to be vehicles belonging to the government of Col Moamar Gadhafi. Sunday morning government officials and people around the neighborhood had showed journalists a building which they said was destroyed by NATO air strikes.

At least three bodies were recovered from the rubbles they were later confirmed dead by hospital officials. One of the casualties includes an infant child.

This presentation by the government is credible and this is the first time in three months that the government is presenting a credible report that is linking NATO with civilian casualties.

The destroyed building from all accounts has nothing to do with military operations. Even the people in the neighborhood are critical of the government of Col Gadhafi yet they agreed that the attack was as a result of NATO strikes.

The house according to the neighbors accommodated about three or more families. The government claimed that 15 people were living in that building. However NATO could be reached to confirm the incidence.

However the number of rebel soldiers who have had an injury as a result of NATO attack was not made public, but NATO had regretted the incidence.

Karzai: U.S. Discussing Peace with Taliban

The president of Afghanistan Mr. Hamid Karzai had admitted for the first time that his government and the US are having direct discussions with the Taliban. He acknowledged that the talk is progressing. He acknowledged that the US military is going ahead with the negotiations.

Mr. Karzai blasted the foreign nations who were fighting for years to defend him and his government for about a decade now. The president said that the foreign forces were in his country to protect their own interests and not the interests of the Afghani people. The president spoke at a youth conference at the presidential palace that the foreign forces were using his country.

As the president was lambasting the foreign forces suicide bombers who dressed in Afghani army uniform carried out an attack in a police facility causing heavy gun battle that lasted for over three hours. The incident led to the loss of many lives including the suicide attackers. After the incident the spokesperson for the Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault.

There were conflicting report of what president Karzai said and what he did not say. Some reports of the same comment by the president did not say anything about peace talks.

Report had it that a government spokesperson said that the president had advised the Taliban to accept the constitution of Afghanistan. US embassy officials have declined to comment on the development.

Indonesia support French minister Lagarge for top IMF job

The finance minister of France who is one of the leading contestants for the IMF top job has received the endorsement of Indonesia for the job. This has further stretched the lead of Mrs. Christine Lagarde. Indonesia is the first country in the developing economy that has backed her bid publicly.

The entrance into the race in the 11th hour of a former central bank governor in Israel Stanley Fischer may not whittle down the lead of Lagarge in the race. Lagarge had already received the backing of the European Union for the top IMF job. She also had the support of other smaller countries but had needed the support of the bigger emerging economies to back her candidacy.

The development in Jakarta is very interesting because the region had resolved to present a candidate for the top IMF job. Other smaller countries who are members of IMF have always being critical of the European domination of IMF when it comes to the position of the top job.

The entrance of Fischer into the race has made the emerging economies to reconsider backing the central bank of Mexico as they see Fischer as a credible candidate. The French finance minister has intensified her campaign by moving to different capitals in the world.

 

US not to support Indian involvement in Afghanistan in future

The plan by Indian government to help in the training of the new Afghan security may not be a welcomed development. This was contained in a security report that was released in Washington. Even though the Indian government discussed with the Americans on that possibility and was preparing for that, she was told categorically that such action will undermine the security of the region.

According to a release by cable network on February 23, 2010, Y K Singh the joint secretary who was handling Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran issues for foreign ministry told the Americans that it would be a sensitive issue for America but New Delhi is offering to help on her own accord. The Americans believe the cost of having the Indian security to train the Afghanistan security will outweigh the benefits.

The Indian diplomat in the meeting told the US official not to be dragged to the Pakistani game of driving India out of Afghanistan. He told the Americans that while the Pakistani government is more interested in seeing the Indians out of Afghanistan that India will not leave Afghanistan because of its strategic interest to India. The hatred of the Pakistani government against the Indian involvement in Afghanistan was evident in an interview which Pervez Musharaf granted to journalists where he accused Indian of sidelining the Pakistani military.

Japanese protests over nuclear power

People of Japan took to the streets with drums and flowers protesting the use of nuclear power plants by the country. The protests took place in Tokyo and the other major streets of Japan on Saturday. The protests came almost three months after devastating nuclear disaster in the country which was triggered off by tsunami.

There has been tension in the country for some weeks now after the authorities revealed that the damages and leakages of the radioactive elements in the nuclear power stations were worse than revealed. Everybody in the country became worried especially the mothers who were worried over their children. Other professionals were worried they would be affected in one way or the other. The citizens of the country were not happy with the prime minister over the government handling of the nuclear crisis.

The nuclear disaster has opened debate in the country whether they actually need to depend on nuclear power plants giving the country topography which made it prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters. Recently the prime minister has directed that a nuclear power plant in central Japan should be shut down until they are able to provide the facilities that would ensure the protection against tsunami.

Accused former NSA official to plead guilty

The ex NSA manager Thomas Drake who would be charged to court for leaking classified information has accepted a plea deals with the government. This may result to the government to dropping the charges of his indictment and therefore absolve him from the offence of leaking classified information.

In exchange Mr. Drake agreed to plead for guilty of misdemeanor for exceeding the authorized usage of computer. He will only serve for one year probation and would not be expected to pay any fine. If he failed to plead for guilty of misdemeanor he will serve up to 35 years in jail if found guilty.

This development is seen as a victory for Drake who is aged 54 who has been under investigation since 2006 for leaking secret information to the media. He was indicted in May 2010. This development is seen as a great setback to president Obama who is fighting serious battle against leakers of national security secrets.

Mr. Drake is billed to appear before Judge Richard Bennett in the US District Court in Baltimore on Friday to enter for this plea. He has denied several times that he did not leak classified security information to Baltimore Sun reporter who produced series of reports of NSA.

Gadhafi soldiers push to retake Misrata

Despite the series of air bombardment by NATO forces loyal to the embattled Libyan leader Moamar Gadhafi had launched an attack aimed at taking the Misrata which was under the control of the rebel soldiers. The attack was launched on Wednesday.

It was reported that thousands of soldiers loyal to Gadhafi infiltrated the rebel positions with cars and flags bearing the rebel colour. The attack had claimed the lives of more than 13 rebel soldiers. Eye witness reported that this battle was the bloodiest since the city of Misrata was besieged by soldiers. The hospitals in the city are reported over flowing with wounded people.

However it appears that the rebels are holding strongly to their ground. This attack is just coming barely a day after NATO had launched one of the deadliest attacks against Gadhafi in Tripoli. The government spokesperson said that over 60 missiles landed in the Tripoli claiming life of about 31 people. NATO said that it is doing everything to avoid civilian casualties in the air attacks. Gadhafi had vowed that he will fight to the last person saying that he will not leave the country. NATO and rebels had insisted that the only condition for ceasefire is that Gadhafi will leave power.

 

OPEC lowers production as Oil Prices Increases

Organization of petroleum exporting countries OPEC ended its meeting on Wednesday without reaching agreement to increase oil production. The spokesman for the organization reported on Wednesday that their meeting ended in disarray. This is the first time the meeting of the organization has ended in disarray. The body is known to arrive to decisions based on consensus.

The spokesman for the body maintained that since the organization was unable to reach decision to raise oil production the present production level will be in force until the next meeting of the organization which will take place in about three months time. The secretary general of the 12 nation organization Al-Badri told journalists who were waiting for briefing at the end of the meeting that the meeting of the organization was deadlocked.

Already analysts are given different interpretations to the outcome of the meeting. Analysts who covered OPEC for 20 years said that this is the first time there will be sharp disagreement with the rank of the organization over policy issues. Others see it as a sign that the organization is weak and is the verge of collapse. It is believed that the outcome of the meeting will damage the image of the organization as a key player in the oil industry.

Already the market has reacted to the outcome of the meeting. The prices of oil went up in the international market.

 

 



New York court declares ex-IMF chief innocent

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the Ex-IMF director has been declared innocent in a New York court today to accuse of raping a hotel maid. Several French are off and on appalled and enthralled as they follow the American jurisdictional trials.

As Ex-IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn is prosecuted today, the case of “New York’s People versus Strauss-Kahn, 1225782, Criminal Court of the New York City,” carry on to consecutively appall and enthrall the French on the distinctions among their judicial system, which highlights discretion and perhaps be more compassionate to suspect, as well as challenging American one.

All major French Television networks have covered Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn live. DSK was accused for raping a hotel maid of Sofitel Hotel nearby Times Square last month and has been declared innocent. Furthermore, DSK’s official team, led by Benjamin Brafman, said “No Comments” after the declaration.

From the time when Strauss-Kahn had been detained, French impulse has transformed from instant compassion for Strauss-Kahn, and incense and suspicion, to an indignant question on the French male mindsets about females and en route for a completely new independence to condemn what has always been mass media stillness about such mindsets, especially when they draw in privileged.

Although the Strauss-Kahn issue possibly will play over tables like a tale, but key concerns here are – mass media stillness for privileged, and men benefiting freedom to misbehave and to carry on spoiling in indignant behaviors.

China meets with rebels in Libya

The government of china has made its first confirmed contact with the Libyan rebels. This is one of the latest diplomatic setbacks encountered by Moamar Gadhafi. France said that it is persuading people that are close to the Libyan leader to convince him to leave power.

Chinese diplomats and Libyan rebels met in Qatar as a result of defections to the rebel sides by notable figures in the Libyan governments. As the war in Libya intensifies the rebels and NATO had made the departure of Gadhafi as a condition for ceasefire in the country. Gadhafi has said in clear terms that he will not leave the country. He told the South African president who came on AU delegation that he will not leave Libya. NATO had this week extended its operations which were supposed to end by June 27th for another 90 days sending a warning to Gadhafi that they are not prepared to leave Libya until they have accomplished their aims in the country.

Reacting to the situation in Libya the French foreign minister Juppe said that Col Gadhafi is more isolated adding that more of his loyalists are defecting. The Chinese foreign ministry has said that the Chinese ambassador to Qatar had discussed with the Libyan rebels on ways to bring about the development of Libya.