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[1] From: Dolphy D'Souza Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 7:31 PM Subject: URGENT PRESS STATEMENT PLEASE DEPUTE YOUR REPORTER TO COVER THIS EVENT URGENT PRESS STATEMENT AND INVITE The Editor Dear Madam / Sir, RE; The Bombay Catholic Sabha has organised an interactive public meeting with the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation on May 07 at 7.00 p. m. at Salvation Hall, Dadar. The Bombay Catholic Sabha has organised an interactive meeting with the Board Members of the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation who will be briefing us about the various schemes and facilities available for the Minorities and the norms for availing of the same. Details are as follows: Date: May 07, 2008 Time: 7.00 p. m. Venue: Salvation Kendra Hall, Our Lady of Salvation Church [Portuguese Church], Dadar West. We also heartily congratulate Ms Janet D'souza on her appointment as a Director of the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation All members of minorities are invited to attend. Also we would request you to depute your "Reporter" to cover this event. Thank you for your support, Best Regards, Dolphy D'souza President THE BOMBAY CATHOLIC SABHA St Michael's Church, Mahim, Mumbai 400 016. Tel: 24463853 Cell: 9820226227 Email: contact@bcsabha.org www. bcsabha. org ----------- [2] From: "Sukla Sen" <sukla.sen@gmail.com Date: Mon May 5, 2008 8:24 pm Subject: A Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons: Towards A Nuclear Weapons Convention [For 'Model Nuclear Weapons Convention', see: < http://www.lcnp.org/mnwc/convention.htm. And for the background info: < http://www.lcnp.org/mnwc/index.htm.] *http://hnn.us/articles/49891.html* *May 5, 2008* *A Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons* *By Lawrence S. Wittner * Dr. Wittner is Professor of History at the State University of New York/Albany. His latest book, co-edited with Glen H. Stassen, is Peace Action: Past, Present, and Future (Paradigm Publishers). ------------ [3] From: "Sukla Sen" <sukla.sen@gmail.com Date: Tue May 6, 2008 1:03 pm Subject: Indo-US Nuclear Deal: Dimming Prospects *I/II. http://www.indianexpress.com/story/305965.html* *Egg on both UPA and Left faces as NAM and Iran slam nuclear deal* ** Pranab Dhal Samanta *Posted online: Tuesday, May 06, 2008 at 0048 hrs IST * NEW DELHI, MAY 5 In a severe embarrassment, ironically for both the UPA government and its Left allies — although for quite the opposite reasons — the Non-Aligned Movement countries which are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty have called for "complete prohibition" of any kind of nuclear cooperation with countries that have not acceded to the NPT. Iran, too, has jumped in, making this part of a formal proposal and calling all NPT members for an endorsement. At the ongoing meeting of the preparatory committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference in Geneva, Indonesia, making a statement last week on behalf of NAM countries that have signed the NPT, stated: "Without exception, there should also be a complete prohibition of the transfer of all nuclear-related equipment, information, material and facilities, resources or devices and the extension of assistance in the nuclear, scientific and technological fields to states, which are not parties to the NPT." Going beyond this, the statement reads: "The recent developments, in particular the nuclear cooperation agreement signed by a NWS (Nuclear Weapon State) with a non-party to the NPT is a matter of great concern." Taking this forward, Iran today included "prevention of transfer of any nuclear material, equipment, information, knowledge and technology to and cooperation with non-parties to the NPT" as one of the key points of its seven-point strategy proposal to combat proliferation. Iran wants this to be taken up at the NPT Review Conference. While some official quarters here claim that all this could be a reference to Israel given the historical position of the countries from the Middle-East in the NAM that have spoken against alleged US-Israel nuclear cooperation, the sense of disquiet is clear. In fact, NAM has so long desisted from using such language in forums where India too is participating and would have to be consulted before framing a common position. This being an NPT meeting, India and Pakistan — the two NAM countries that have not signed the NPT — were not there. Among individual countries, Egypt strongly objected to nuclear cooperation between NPT countries and non-NPT members "regardless of the motives declared and the intentions stated" while Iran associated itself to the statement by Indonesia on behalf of NAM, saying that it "fully supports the positions reflected therein". Ironically, while the Left has always asked the UPA government to develop a position closer to that of the NAM on pressing nuclear disarmament issues as a mark of independent foreign policy, NAM members have called for upholding the NPT and tightening the screws on countries like India by not showing any exception to the NPT regime. What is worrying officials here is the growing confidence with which other countries are beginning to make statements that negatively impact the nuclear deal that has been held up for domestic political reasons. For the past three years since the deal was agreed to, sources said, developing countries have been cautious not to annoy either India or US through any remotely negative statement despite grudging opposition among many of them. But the first indication that the problem in domestic politics was derailing the momentum built internationally came when Egypt, a key member of the NAM, came out strongly against the exception being made for India at this year's session of the UN Disarmament Commission last month. "Among serious challenges which threaten to do away with the principles and objectives of the NPT, is the danger of working to amend the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in order to enable cooperation in the nuclear area with states not party to the NPT. This categorically contradicts to the letter and spirit of the NPT." This clear reference to the Indo-US nuclear deal was treated with some surprise in New Delhi as Cairo had gone on to state: "Such a development will forever eliminate the opportunity to destroy nuclear weapons developed outside the NPT regime — the result will be loss of credibility of the NPT and the collapse of the global non-proliferation and disarmament regime for which the treaty represents the cornerstone." It may be noted that the nuclear deal would allow India access to civilian nuclear commerce while still allowing it to retain its strategic weapons programme. For this, special arrangements like an India-specific Safeguards Agreement with IAEA and an exemption from the Nuclear Suppliers Group are in the works. But given that the international opposition to the deal is incrementally coming out in the open, crossing each stage is going to be more difficult as many of these countries are in the IAEA Board and the NSG. All this, notwithstanding tough domestic opposition which has already upset the timeframe. II. http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/may/04ndeal.htm *UPA-Left committee on N-deal to meet on Tuesday* May 04, 2008 18:20 IST The United Progressive Alliance-Left Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal would meet in New Delhi on Tuesday with the Left parties, providing outside support to the Congress-led ministry, sticking to their guns and the government saying it would seek the sense of Parliament on the matter. At their meeting on May 6, the UPA and its Left supporters are slated to discuss the state of government's negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on an India-specific safeguards agreement for implementing the nuclear deal. "We will consider what the government will report to us on its talks with the IAEA. On that basis, we will take the issue forward," a senior Left leader told *PTI* when asked about the stand they would take at the upcoming meeting. Asserting that the Left opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal continued, he said the government was committed to consider the findings of this Committee while taking the next step on the nuclear deal. After the last round of UPA-Left meeting on March 17, the Left parties and the government have been exchanging notes on related issues, but no details are available. Though Left leaders have refused to divulge details about these exchanges, informed sources said these related to several political and technical matters like uninterrupted fuel supplies. Left sources said the government had sent some information on the nuclear issue and they have reiterated their objections to operationalising the deal. The Left has been opposing the deal on the grounds that conditions laid down by the Hyde Act would impinge on India pursuing an independent foreign policy and make it 'subservient' to US strategic interests worldwide. Indicating a shift in its stand, the Government has said it would seek 'sense of the House' on the stalled deal before it goes to the US Congress for ratification. "Before we go for its ratification in the American Parliament, we will come to Parliament to take the sense of the House even though there is no provision in the Constitution that stands in our way," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said recently. His statement appeared to indicate a change in the thinking of the government which had so far maintained that international agreements were solely in the domain of the Executive. However, the Left sources said the government already knows "the sense of opposition to the nuclear deal expressed in both Houses of Parliament. Government has no majority on the issue. What more do they need?" The Left has been joined by opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and several other parties which have been expressing apprehensions over various aspects of the deal. India had concluded talks with the global nuclear watchdog IAEA on a specific draft safeguards agreement in the last week of February, more than three months after it began the process. The safeguards agreement with the IAEA and a waiver from the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers' Group to enable India participate in nuclear commerce are the two pre-requisites to operationalise the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, which seeks to end New Delhi's nuclear isolation. India has told the US that it could not go ahead with the deal without a political consensus and efforts were on for reaching the same. ------------- [4] Al-Qa’ida Murder Inc. By Mustapha Marrouchi http://www.countercurrents.org/marrouchi060508.htm A follower of Salafi Sunnism, bin Laden does not express absolute solidarity with all Muslims. The assassination of two devout Muslims, Ahmad Shah Massoud and Sheikh Abdullah Azzam, meant nothing to him. Nor does he claim to have the support of the regime in Iran, which is Shi’ite. The religious intensity lies in the millenarian beliefs underlying his statements; politics play a poor second role Conversion: A Political Weapon By Ram Puniyani http://www.countercurrents.org/puniyani060508.htm ------------- [5] From: Sukla Sen <suklasen@yahoo.com Date: Mon May 5, 2008 8:13 pm Subject: On Nuclear Power http://www.hardnewsmedia.com/2008/03/2126 Nuclear power's Achilles' Heel Nuclear power will create more problems, including water stress, displacement and environmental hazards, than any other energy source Praful Bidwai Delhi In all the debate that has taken place in India over the past 44 months on the nuclear deal with the US, there has been little questioning of the claimed appropriateness, relevance, safety and -------------------- |
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| << May05, 2008 - [India Thinkers Net]Designs in Nepal ,new book ,Ind-Pak relations etc |
May07, 2008 - [India Thinkers Net] Hajj ,breast fed kids ,record food output etc >> |
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