Tag Archives: Syed Akbaruddin

News, Politics, Government

North Korea may be preparing to test missile, South Korea says

Leave a comment

A top South Korean national security official said Sunday that North Korea may be setting the stage for a missile test or another provocative act with its warning that it soon will be unable to guarantee diplomats’ safety in Pyongyang. But he added that the North’s clearest objective is to extract concessions from Washington and Seoul.

North Korea‘s warning last week followed weeks of war threats and other efforts to punish South Korea and the U.S. for ongoing joint military drills, and for their support of U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang’s Feb. 12 nuclear test. Many nations are deciding what to do about the notice, which said their diplomats’ safety in Pyongyang cannot be guaranteed beginning this Wednesday.

Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang led South Korea‘s Joint Chiefs of Staff to announce Sunday that its chairman had put off a visit to Washington. The South Korean defense minister said Thursday that North Korea had moved a missile with “considerable range” to its east coast, possibly to conduct a test launch.

His description suggests that the missile could be the Musudan missile, capable of striking American bases in Guam with its estimated range of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,490 miles).

Citing North Korea‘s suggestion that diplomats leave the country, South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s national security director said Pyongyang may be planning a missile launch or another provocation around Wednesday, according to presidential spokeswoman Kim Haing.

During a meeting with other South Korean officials, the official, Kim Jang-Soo, also said the notice to diplomats and other recent North Korean actions are an attempt to stoke security concerns and to force South Korea and the U.S. to offer a dialogue. Washington and Seoul want North Korea to resume the six-party nuclear talks — which also include China, Russia and Japan — that it abandoned in 2009.

The roughly two dozen countries with embassies in North Korea have not yet announced whether they will evacuate their staffs.

Indonesia‘s foreign affairs ministry said it was considering a plan to evacuate its diplomats. A statement released by the ministry on Saturday said that its embassy in Pyongyang has been preparing a contingency plan to anticipate the worst-case scenario, and that the Indonesian foreign minister is communicating with the staff there to monitor the situation.

India also said it was monitoring events. “We have been informed about it,” said Syed Akbaruddin, spokesman for India‘s external affairs ministry. “We are in constant touch with our embassy and are monitoring the situation. We will carefully consider all aspects and decide well in time.”

Seoul and Washington, which lack diplomatic relations with the North, are taking the threats seriously, though they say they have seen no signs that Pyongyang is preparing for a large-scale attack.

Kim Jang-soo said the North would face “severalfold damages” for any hostilities. Since 2010, when attacks Seoul blames on North Korea killed 50 people, South Korea has vowed to aggressively respond to any future attack.

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo had planned to meet with his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Martin Dempsey, …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Indian agency files murder case against 2 Italians

Leave a comment

An Indian investigative agency has filed a murder case against two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen last year, news reports said Friday.

The Press Trust of India news agency said the National Investigation Agency also filed cases under maritime laws which carry a maximum penalty of death.

A major diplomatic row broke out between India and Italy last month when Rome said the marines would not return to India after they were allowed to go home to vote in an election.

The marines eventually returned after India gave an assurance that they would not face the death penalty if convicted.

India‘s Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the men should be tried by a special court to be set up by the central government. The decision removed the case from the jurisdiction of the southern state of Kerala, near where the shooting took place.

India‘s home ministry has directed the agency to investigate all aspects of the case and present it to the special court that will be appointed by the Indian government.

Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid met Friday with Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura and briefed him about the procedure that the special court will follow in dealing with the marines, ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

Khurshid later spoke over the phone with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Khurshid assured de Mistura last month that the death penalty in India applies only in the “rarest of rare” cases, and that the marines’ case did not fall into that category.

The marines, Massimilian Latorre and Salvatore Girone, were part of a military security team on a cargo ship when they fired at the fishermen, mistaking them for pirates.

Italy maintains that the shooting occurred in international waters and that Rome should have jurisdiction. India says the ship was in Indian territorial waters.

…read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

2 Italian marines return to India to face trial

Leave a comment

Two Italian marines returned to India on Friday to face trial in the killing of a pair of Indian fishermen, ending a diplomatic rift that had soured ties between the two countries.

Italy had earlier said it would not send the marines back as promised, insisting the South Asian nation had no standing to try the men. But Italy reversed its position Thursday and sent them back to meet a Friday deadline for their return.

The marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening, according to Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.

India‘s foreign minister, Salman Khurshid, said Italy‘s decision healed the rift between the two nations.

“We have a valuable relationship with Italy,” Khurshid told reporters. The fact that the incident “did not derail our relationship, and that things are back on track and are normal is a matter of satisfaction.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also praised Italy‘s decision.

“We are very happy the Italian government is upholding the integrity and dignity of the Indian judicial process,” he said.

The Indian Supreme Court allowed the marines to return home last month to vote in the Italian election in exchange for a promise from the Italian ambassador that they would return within four weeks. The marines had returned from a similar trip home over Christmas without incident.

But this time, after the marines flew home, the Italian government announced they would not be coming back, triggering a diplomatic crisis. The Italian foreign ministry said the decision to try them in India violated their rights.

India‘s Supreme Court, contending the Italian ambassador had reneged on his promise, barred him from leaving the country. It also contended that his actions could nullify his diplomatic immunity.

Singh angrily demanded the men be returned to India, warning that Italy would otherwise face unspecified consequences.

Italy backed down Thursday, agreeing to send them back on condition they not be subject to the death penalty if convicted, Khurshid said. India assured them this was not a capital case, he said. Khurshid said he also told Italy the marines would not be arrested if they returned as scheduled Friday. Instead, they would be allowed to continue living in the Italian Embassy.

The Indian Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the men should be tried by a special court to be set up by the central government in consultation with the chief justice. The decision removed the case from the jurisdiction of the southern state of Kerala, near where the shooting took place.

The marines were part of a military security team on a cargo ship when they fired at a fishing boat in February 2012, killing the two fishermen. The marines said they mistook the fishing boat for a pirate craft.

India contends the shooting happened in Indian waters, while Italy has insisted it occurred in international waters during an international anti-piracy mission and that Italy should have jurisdiction.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Maldives ex-leader demands president's resignation

Leave a comment

The former president of the Maldives took refuge for a second day Thursday in the country’s Indian embassy, and his party spokesman said he would not leave the building until the current leader resigns.

Abdul Gafoor, spokesman for the Maldivian Democratic Party, said former President Mohamed Nasheed was in danger and the party had urged him to remain in the embassy in the capital, Male.

“The threat level is high. The party is advising him not to step outside,” Gafoor told The Associated Press.

Nasheed entered the embassy Wednesday after a court ordered his arrest for not attending a hearing on charges that he illegally ordered the detention of a senior judge, a move which led to his ouster from power last year. Nasheed says that the charges are politically motivated to disqualify him from running for the presidency in September elections.

The government says the arrest warrant expired Wednesday night but Gafoor said the party feared for Nasheed’s life.

Nasheed demanded in a statement Wednesday that President Mohammed Waheed Hassan resign and install a caretaker government to oversee the election. He said Hassan could not be trusted to hold a free and fair vote.

The Indian government says it has not decided whether to give Nasheed asylum. Foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said the government will take it “a day at a time.”

However, the Indian government issued a statement Wednesday saying that candidates from all political parties must be free to participate in the election.

“Prevention of participation by political leaders in the contest would call into question the integrity of the electoral process, thereby perpetuating the current political instability in the Maldives,” it said.

In response, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said “it is unfortunate that the government of India has decided to publicly comment on today’s events instead of opting for bilateral discussions between the two governments.”

Nasheed became Maldives‘ first democratically elected president in 2008 after 30 years of autocratic rule. He resigned last year after weeks of public protests over the judge’s arrest and after losing the support of the military and police. His deputy Hassan took over as president.

An inquiry …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News