Australia abstains on Israel war crimes probe

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Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday the decision was unrelated to "recent events", a reference to Canberra's anger at Israel's failure to explain the use of three Australian passports by suspects in the murder in Dubai of a senior Palestinian militant.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the involvement of its spy agency Mossad in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, which Dubai police say involved 26 people travelling on false passports from four nations.

However, Israel said last night it would provide whatever assistance was needed by any Australian investigation into the misuse of its passports, saying it was "a friendly country".

"There's nothing we have to fear here, we've nothing to hide," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

On Friday, the UN General Assembly considered a follow-up resolution to the Goldstone report on the Gaza conflict, which was passed with 98 in favour, seven opposing and 31 abstaining.

"The Australian government always considers UN resolutions on a case-by-case basis and on their merits," Mr Smith said. "Australian abstained on this resolution because unlike previous resolutions, it did not endorse the Goldstone report.

"Our vote on the resolution was neither determined nor influenced by recent events."

source-http://www.theaustralian.com

ISI hand in Taliban's Kabul attack?

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NEW DELHI: While India may not want to straightaway point a finger at Pakistan for Friday's Kabul attacks, which came a day after the resumption of dialogue between the two countries, there are indications that the suicide attacks could have been carried out at the behest of Pakistan's ISI.

Highly placed government officials confirmed to TOI that India's external intelligence wing, RAW, had repeatedly warned the government about meetings between the Taliban and ISI officials since September last year aiming to attack Indian interests in Kabul.

The attack on a hotel used by Indians also came as the new US led surge saw the Afghan flag being planted in Marjah where the troops have wrested aTaliban stronghold. It is seen as part of the Taliban desire to show that they can strike anywhere in the heart of Kabul but also meshes with ISI's objective to "evict" Indian presence from Afghanistan.

The bombing does complicate matters for India as it has just begun an engagement with Pakistan that cannot be abruptly called off. It has again showed up a lack of options while dealing with Pakistan when US pressure seems the only effective instrument. Given the lack of pressure points between talks and hostilities, New Delhi will not find it easy to toughen its position.

The first of the intelligence inputs came in September 2009 from RAW which said that officials from ISI's joint intelligence (north) wing had discussed plans to carry out attacks against Indian aid workers in Kabul with the Gulbuddin Hekmatyar group. Of all the Taliban insurgent groups, Hekmatyar heads the smallest one but is well known for being ISI's most trustworthy ally in the region. His Hizb-e-Islami group is fighting alongside the Taliban against the US-led forces.

"Since then, almost every month there had been credible information about meetings which ISI officials had with the Hekmatyar and Haqqani factions of Taliban to discuss the modus operandi for the attacks. It's only natural for Indian security agencies to believe that these meetings could have culminated in Friday's attacks,'' said a source, adding that New Delhi was still waiting for a report from the Afghan government on the identity of the attackers.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks but their spokesperson did not specify which faction was responsible. According to sources, the input from RAW suggested that most of these meetings to target India were held with the Hekmatyar group. The same ISI officials are said to have had such meetings with the Haqqani faction which too is known for being strongly backed by Pakistan.

The inputs said that officials from ISI's joint intelligence (north) and joint intelligence (miscellaneous) wings were present in these meetings. While joint intelligence (north) is responsible for ISI's operations in Afghanistan and Kashmir, the miscellaneous wing is known to carry out disruptive activities in foreign countries, mainly India. In fact, the infamous Karachi Project, which was confirmed by the home ministry earlier, is said to be the brainchild of joint intelligence (miscellaneous) wing.

Indian officials are also closely looking at the possibility of an army officer, Samir Ali, having played a role in the blasts. Ali is one of the army officers who have been named by India in the dossier provided to Pakistan on February 25. While it's not yet confirmed whether Ali is a serving officer or has retired, he is known to carry out operations for ISI. "Even if he has retired from the army, as per the information we have, he is certainly working for ISI and his focus is India,'' said an official, adding that Ali is wanted in 26/11 and was also one of David Headley's handlers.
source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Chile counts cost of earthquake as tsunami fears ease

The agitate, on Weekday salutation, killed at small 300 fill - 90% of them in their homes. It is feared the misconduct may toll tens of zillions of dollars.

One prima delivery exertion is in the municipality of Metropolis, where slews are feared unfree in a collapsed lodging withhold.

The Pacific-wide perched for a wave in the watch of the tremble has been lifted.

Chilean Chairwoman Michelle Bachelet said that two million fill had been agonistic by the temblor.

The 8.8 agitate is one of the largest ever prerecorded and the largest to hit Chile in 50 years.

'Catastrophe'

Umteen Chileans in hokey areas have spent the front night since the quake outdoors, algophobic to stay region.
In City, cease to the epicentre, politician Jacqueline van Rysselberghe said piles of group were treed in the collapsed lodging obstruction.

"Experience is of the import to reserve the grouping exclusive this antiquity," she said.

Delivery coordinator Serviceman Marcelo Piazza said: "We spent the healthy dark employed, smashing finished walls to bump survivors. The largest job is fuel, we pauperization hydrocarbon for our machinery and h2o for our people."

National telly showed pictures of grouping removing artefact from supermarkets in Metropolis, Chile's second port, before guard arrived to crystallize the gather with disunite gas and liquid shot.

The situation there has been described as dangerous.

Ms van Rysselberghe said City had as yet conventional no food or remaining aid from City and that it was urgently needful.

Tough aftershocks human continued to shake Metropolis and new areas.

The epicentre of the shake was 115km (70 miles) north-east of Metropolis and 325km south-west of Metropolis.

Chilean officials and ministers are plant disagreeable to arrive to cost with the foliage of the adversity.

Doi Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma said it was tall to devote specific figures of a "tragedy of vast proportions".

One US assay assessor, Eqecat, put the measure of the change at between $15bn and $30bn (£9.8bn-£19.6bn) or 10-15% of income internal fluid.

Active 1.5 million homes have been flyblown and law patrols soul been stepped up to reject looters.
Most of the collapsed buildings were of sr. ornamentation - including numerous historic structures. Around 90% of the historic property of the townspeople of Curico was devastated. Umpteen anchorage and bridges crossways the taken country were tainted or lost.

Port airfield was injured and relic closed.

Jose Abumohor, of Chile's nationalist brake centre, said efforts were already low way to reconstruct people services.

"The aim is as shortly as conceivable that we control to labor a land of normality," he said.

Mr Abumohor said the underground scheme would shortly be employed in Port and remaining mechanism services were slow regressive to regular. Roads were satisfactory, tho' with diversions.

Efforts were low way to get aid to those who requisite it, with help supplies substantive for the Juan Fernandez islands, where at littlest phoebe group were killed as tsunamis hit.

The coastal town of Talcahuano, gravely trampled by wave waves, is said to be the bottom taken.

Orderliness of the recall sweat give soon give to Chile's new chair, Sebastian Pinera, who takes part in two weeks.

"It's deed to be a rattling big extend and we're achievement to poorness resources," he said.

Chile has so far not requested aid despite offers of resource from the US, Prc, the EU, the UN and others.

Adventive Diplomatist Mariano Fernandez said Chile did not requirement aid offers to be "a entertainment", adding: "Any aid that arrives without having been set to be needed rattling helps rattling young."

Efficient analysts say the seism module mortal a unfathomable issue on Chile's frugalness, with the peso weakening in the squabby period and a conspicuous expenditure for rebuilding.

Notwithstanding, Chile could help in the oblong term from an economic increase in the recollection labour.

Alberto Ramos of Nihilist Sachs told Reuters: "The Chileans fortunately somebody the finest managed scheme in the hemisphere and present be competent to assemblage with this terrible adversity."

Excreting orders

Meanwhile fears of a devastating wave across the Ocean receded on Dominicus.

Nippon has serviceable an perched, provision evacuation orders for 320,000 group around the coast.

Notwithstanding, it downgraded its awake from student to connatural - meaningful waves of two metres were awaited rather than trine.

Near 50 Pacific countries and territories had issued tsunami alerts.

Sculptor Archipelago and Island were among those hit by tenor waves, but no casualties bonk been reportable.

The Peaceful Tsunami Warning Heart on Sunday raised its Pacific-wide sign.

Warning systems across the Peaceful bed improved since the 2004 State tremble sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.