ASF saved the day; it could have been worse...

 

ISLAMABAD: For those addicted to action, the flight from Tarbela was probably not worth it. By the time the Zarrar Company of the Special Operations Task Force got in the game, it was almost over.
Pakistan’s toughest crack team of commandos — the same unit that saw action and sacrifice in the Lal Masjid operation in 2007 — didn’t get to do much at the Jinnah International Airport on Monday morning except secure some aircraft that were idling on the tarmac. Ghosts, entering shells, at around 0430 hours, as the call to Fajr prayers soared across the Jinnah Terminal’s tarmac.

A directive from an infantryman who was watching from afar had decreased their workload. The country’s most powerful soldier – some still maintain that he’s also the country’s most powerful man – General Raheel Sharif, was up all night: demanding ‘SitReps’, getting updates from the V Corps Commander and in direct contact with the operational brains on the ground behind the counter-assault, the Director General of the Pakistan Rangers.

“Spare no quarter. Show no mercy,” is what the Chief of Army Staff had told Lt. Gen. Sajjad Ghani and Major General Rizwan Akhtar, according to the military spokesperson, Major General Asim S. Bajwa. “Do not wait for the battle to evolve. Win the fight, now.”

If the television media’s hyper narratives were to be believed, no was really in charge in those first few hours. If social media were to be believed, PAF’s drones and the Navy’s frogmen were in the mix, too. But detailed conversations with senior and mid-level officers on the ground indicate that despite intelligence and security lapse - or is it failure, for how else would ten terrorists infiltrate Pakistan’s busiest airport but without proper reconnaissance and surveillance that “probably took several days, even weeks”, according to an insider - the heavy lifting was done by those who were responsible for it: The Airport Security Force. And quick, aggressive operational decision-making and joint coordination between multiple intelligence, security and even information machines took care of the rest.

Led by Brigadier Azam Tawana, JIA’s ASF contingent is slightly larger than a proper army-sized brigade, around 3,000 officers and men. Pakistan is one of the few countries in the world that maintains a purpose-built force – around 10,000 across all of Pakistan’s airports. Not fully military, not fully civilian, the ASF usually gets its fair share of criticism for being in on airport-related scandals, usually smuggling. Detractors also recall how the same ASF had caused a serious lapse in letting Palestinian hijackers play havoc with the same target, Karachi’s old terminal, in 1986 when Abu Nidal terrorists were actually saluted on their way to the tarmac as they took over Pan-Am flight 73. Just like this contingent, the Arabs of ‘86 were sporting ASF uniforms.

But those were different times. The ASF went through a beefing up in the ‘90s, as it saw its now redundant elite Air Guards occupy a First Class seat in every PIA flight between Pakistan and everywhere.

By the early 2000s, budget cuts and decreased threat indices caused the ASF to scale back and limit its Air Guard program, forcing it to morph the commandos into a dedicated company-sized Quick Reaction Force, that came into play when terrorists broke cover at the second barrier of the old terminal on Sunday night and caused the initial casualties to regular ASF personnel. It would be that same QRF contingent’s role in the fighting that would ensue from around 2330 hours to 0130 hours, which would be decisive.

By the time regular contingents of the paramilitary Rangers, led by the Bhittai Sector that watches over this area, had set up the outer cordon, the ASF had “borne the initial brunt and stood their ground”, according to Major General Bajwa.

“It’s their home. It’s their area of responsibility. They are not as well trained as our boys, nor do they see as much as action as we do, but they were very brave,” said a senior commander from the Rangers who took part in the action. “Even when some of them ran out of ammo, they threw aside their weapons and acted as our guides”

As the Rangers own Special Operations force – the RATS (Rangers Anti-Terror Squad), and the crack troops of the 4th Frontier Force Regiment, which is an armoured infantry battalion based nearby and connected to the 25th Mechanized Division had joined the action, the ASF had taken hits but also managed to isolate the terrorists into two groups. It’s dedicated, terminal-centric training – apron cordoning, parameter fencing - had paid off. The militants were holed up, and even though it would take 450 men to clear one hangar, and more good guys than bad guys would be lost – 11 ASF personnel and one Ranger, versus 10 militants - “it had to be done that way”, according to a senior commander.

“At the height of it, it was room to room combat, and we moved in two groups, left and right, and kept on forming inner and outer cordons and forcing tighter concentric circles around the terrorists” said a senior officer who participated in the fighting. “And the fact that the DG Rangers and the IG Police and everyone else got there fast, only helped in aggressive decision-making. Frankly, we were done in the first one and half hours because nobody was in the mood for a debate.”

Security experts would have a field day in dissecting all that went wrong with the way the operation was handled: The media’s coverage of weapons, platforms and contingents of troops that were deployed was a straight giveaway, a serious compromise, of the security footprint that was being committed to the cause of saving the airport; the Sindh Chief Minister’s token arrival and photo-op at the scene, which only created more chaos than security; the confusing contradictions between Sharjeel Memon, the Sindh Rangers public relations officials and the Inter-Service Public Relations Directorate (especially regarding the “Indian connection”); and the hyper-activity on social media, even by responsible politicians, ‘journalists’ and ‘religious leaders’, which only compounded the insurgent confusion.

But these are the facts: The attack was unequivocally a failure on the part of the state; as an international news editor in London I was updating through the night eventually pointed out, “it’s pretty humiliating to have the largest airport of the largest city of the world’s fifth largest country taken on by a bunch of thugs, especially given the size the military and intel apparatus you guys have.”

But, remembering the attack on PNS Mehran, I will go on a limb and claim, as my sources do, that it could have been worse. Given what the attackers had on them besides their weapons - dry rations to keep them going, blood thickeners like Oncodox 50 to keep them fighting – anything was possible: a long-haul hostage drama; a blown up international airliner; a live suicide-bombing caught on tape. As a worn-out operational commander who had spent the night in combat brusquely pointed out: “They got inside our house, but they couldn’t touch our mothers and sisters: our vital assets remained.”

Djokovic makes it back into French Open final

PARIS: Novak Djokovic worked his way back into the French Open final, taking care of Ernests Gulbis and his big serve 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Friday on the first sunny day of this year´s tournament.

The second-seeded Serb was able to control the pace of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier while letting Gulbis´ unforced errors mount.

The powerful Latvian, who was playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, finished with 44 errors.

Djokovic is a six-time major champion who needs to win the title at the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

He also reached the final at Roland Garros in 2012, but lost to eight-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic will next face either Nadal or Andy Murray in Sunday´s final.

Djokovic was first to get into trouble in the first semifinal, but he managed to save two break points and hold to 2-2 in the opening set.

A few minutes later, he was ahead for good. Djokovic needed three attempts to earn his first break of the match, and he finally got it when Gulbis sent one of his many forehands long.

It was also in that game that Gulbis had his first of five double-faults. His second double came in the final game of the set, when Djokovic broke again. And his third came when trailing Djokovic 4-3 in the second, when the Serb broke yet again. "I´m not used to (playing) these kind of big matches," Gulbis said. "It´s just normal I felt extra nervous and extra tense."

Gulbis fared better in the third set. He again had two break points while leading 3-2, but again failed to win the game. However, he didn´t waste his chance two games later, breaking Djokovic to take a 5-3 lead before serving out the set with his 11th ace.

The two traded breaks early in the fourth set, and Djokovic broke again to lead 5-3 when Gulbis, again double-faulting once in the game, sent a backhand long.

Djokovic won the last game at love. "It was a struggle out there," Gulbis said. "I felt maybe throughout the match I hit five really clean shots, from either side, backhand or forehand. Even serve."

After nearly two weeks of overcast skies and cool temperatures, the sun was shining on center court and Djokovic and Gulbis were more interested in staying cool than staying warm.

Both players used ice wrapped in towels around their necks, like players often do at the sweltering Australian Open, as the temperature reached 28 degrees C (82 degrees F) on Friday.

Djokovic is now 5-1 against Gulbis, a 25-year-old player who as a teen showed the potential for becoming a star. But Gulbis has said recently that he is only now playing his best tennis, and only because he has decided to leave the party lifestyle behind and focus on his sport.

He certainly showed that at Roland Garros.Gulbis had reached the quarterfinals at a major only once before, and that was way back in 2008 at the French Open.

In that match, he also lost to Djokovic, but in straight sets. This year, he eliminated 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the fourth round and sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. "The more I play these kind of matches, the more I´m going to get used to these situations," Gulbis said. "For me, I take only the positive stuff out of it. Yeah, I need to be in these situations once, twice, three times, and then I can maybe make that extra step."

Djokovic, however, is playing even better. He has won three titles so far this season, and has beaten Nadal the last four times they have played, including on clay in the final in Rome last month. (AFP)

No reason to close channel if it apologises: Pervaiz

 

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Thursday that there was no justification for shutting down a channel and if it had made a mistake, realised it and tendered an apology, it should be accepted. He said that it was advisable to follow the policy of live and let others live (Geo or Jeenay do).
He said the media-related issue would be resolved amicably soon as in the given situation, the issue was not of Geo but of the freedom of expression in a democratic society.

He stated this in an informal chat with media persons after he visited, along with members of the family, the residence of senior journalist Hamid Mir to inquire after him.

The minister recalled how he had resisted when the Supreme Court registrar had pushed for the banning of another TV channel and he had the same policy now that no television channel should go off the air.

About the speculation of the ban on Geo channels, the minister said, “The issue is not of Geo, it is about the freedom of expression in a democratic society and we have bigger issues in our country and all have to find a solution together.”

In this context, he referred to the challenges of terrorism, issues of economy, energy crisis and education and health of children. With regard to the situation arising from the Geo issue, the minister urged the media to bring an end to the infighting.

He confirmed having met representatives of different media organisations, including APNS, CPNE and PBA and his meetings with heads of media groups: Hameed Haroon, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, Mian Amir, Zuberi and Mujeebur Rehman Shami.

Asked for his views on the law ministry’s opinion on the issue, he said his ministry had sent its views on the matter to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

“Pemra is an independent institution and let it decide about the issue in its meeting. Neither I nor anyone else should try to dictate it,” the minister maintained.Earlier, the minister, along with his spouse and children, met the bedridden journalist at his residence and remained with him for some time.

“I, along with my family, met Hamid Mir and his family. It was a family get-together. Mir’s health is much better than it was when I met him in Karachi earlier.” Rashid expressed his gratitude to the journalist for gifting him his book and said he felt honoured on receiving the gift signed by Hamid Mir. The book consists of Mir’s columns.

Family who lost dog during Sandy finds it at pound

EATONTOWN: A New Jersey family whose terrier-pit bull mix escaped from their backyard during Superstorm Sandy went to an animal shelter this week to adopt a new pet and came home with their old dog.

Chuck James tells The Associated Press that his family searched for the brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm before finally giving up hope.

"We reported him missing and called the shelters periodically, just hoping they had him," James said Saturday. "We always kept our hopes up, but eventually it's time to move on."

James said the family had planned in recent weeks to get a new dog as a 10th birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally.

But when the family of five went to the Monmouth County SPCA on Thursday to adopt a new animal, James and his wife approached the first cage and saw a familiar face inside.

"He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was laying on my wife's feet, and I knew it was him. ... I was in disbelief. I know this dog is meant to be with our family."

When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent over a picture showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the Jersey shore.

"We're all so happy to have him back," James said. "Thank God for no-kill shelters because every time they kill an animal, it's somebody's friend who might be lost. Thank God they didn't put him down because this would have been a different story."

SPCA officials say Reckless was picked up as a stray and has now been microchipped.

The family is living in a hotel while their storm-damaged Keansburg home is repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.

It can be your turn tomorrow,Farhatullah warns media outlets

 

ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar has warned that if today some media houses thoughtlessly support banning a media group in the name of national security and patriotism, the same forces will come back to haunt them tomorrow but then there may be no one to defend them.
Speaking at a seminar on Press Freedom Day organised by the Press Council of Pakistan here on Saturday, Farhatullah Babar said that defining national security and patriotism cannot be the monopoly of any individual or a single national institution and called for an informed national debate on what constituted national security.

He said that a particular channel may be accused of editorial indiscretion but such indiscretion should in no way be equated as an assault on national security or a deliberate unpatriotic act.

He said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was also once dubbed by a section of the establishment as ‘security risk’ and the PPP knew too well how national security has often been flaunted to advance vested interests and hide uncomfortable truths.

He said that the PPP also protested against a section of the media for taking freedom and right to information too far and refusing to adopt a code of conduct but it will not favour clamping curbs on the media for real or imagined transgressions.

He said that former President Asif Ali Zardari had also stated that while it is important to have a code of conduct, it would be wrong to clamp down on the media house because of real or imagined excesses and deviations.

Later, talking to the media, the PPP leader said that rightly or wrongly, state agencies have been accused of acting beyond the confines of law, kidnapping and enforced disappearances of citizens, dumping of bodies in Balochisan, disappearance of 35 prisoners from a Malakand jail and assault on some journalists to name only a few of the instances. “The Supreme Court, the Commission on Enforced Disappearances and the Senate of Pakistan has repeatedly called for a legislative framework to regulate the functioning of these agencies,” he added.

He said the involvement of agencies in political engineering and manipulation of political parties has even been established in the Asghar Khan case and in such a situation it is in the interest of the agencies to seek to allay serious misgivings about them instead of seeking to clamp on the media.

Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the sudden resurgence of banned militant outfits and the midnight sprouting of posters and billboards supporting agencies against a section of the media in the name of patriotism and national security has raised questions.

He said that it was time for a national debate on media freedom and a code of conduct on the one hand and defining national security and who should authoritatively define the term on the other.

Geo/Jang Group is a big organisation, we’re proud of it: Sharjeel

 

KARACHI: Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Saturday said that the Pakistan People’s Party’s government in the province would never accept the shutting down of the publication of Daily Jang or the closure of the transmission of Geo TV as it would be in sheer violation of principles of freedom of the media.
Speaking at a function to mark the World Press Freedom Day being commemorated globally on May 3, organised by the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) here at a local hotel, he said that the Geo-Jang Group is a big organisation and we are proud of it, adding that the PPP always supported the cause of freedom of press.

Memon said the PPP government would always be tolerant to criticism, due or undue, being propagated by Geo News but it would never accept the complete shutting down of transmission of the channel. He said the all television channels and outlets of the media should be at complete freedom to criticise governments but they should never be penalised in the form of shutting down their transmission.

The Sindh information minister said the present situation in the country, where different institutions and sections of the society had become highly polarised in the aftermath of the attack on Hamid Mir, had been going highly in favour of enemies of the country. He regretted that nobody was available on the current scenario to defuse the situation in an amicable manner through talks and negotiations. Rather every other person is found active on the scene trying to add fuel to the fire.

Memon said that he would never support the latest stance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan for boycotting the Daily Jang and Geo TV as such a decision would be completely against the spirit of freedom of the media and the principles of democracy.

He said the media and journalistic fraternity in the country should observe complete freedom and solidarity among their ranks to give support and uphold the cause of freedom of the press. He said the ensuring freedom of press was a compulsory condition for the continuity of democracy in the country.

He said that media institutions, TV channels and newspapers should not be subjected to censorship or restrictions as the media should embark upon the course of self-regulation, self-reform, and self-discipline as has always been the norm in a democratic regime.

On the demand made by another speaker of the forum Owais Aslam Ali, chairman of the Pakistan Press Foundation, Sharjeel Memon said the trial court proceedings related to the murder case of slain media person Munir Sangi, belonging to Larkana, would be shifted to any other town of the province in accordance with the demands of heirs in the family of the deceased media person. The demand for shifting the venue of trial court proceedings of the case of slain media person was made in the context of the case of slain Geo News TV journalist Wali Khan Babar as recently convictions were secured against the killers of Wali Babar by shifting his trial court case to a town in interior Sindh.

Other speakers at the forum said the media and journalists’ fraternity would never accept shutting down any newspaper or television channel by the establishment as such an act would create serious repercussions for the independence of the press and for the existence and future of other media institutions in the country too.

They also eulogised the journalistic services of injured Geo News senior anchorperson Hamid Mir, saying that the armed attack on his life on the evening of April 19, 2014 could only be perceived as the attack on the freedom of press in the country. They said the only crime committed by Hamid Mir, owing to which he was attacked, was that he had become the representative voice of downtrodden Pakistanis especially because he had upheld the cause of the people of Balochistan struggling for their long-denied rights.

They said that the military-led establishment in the country had no right to award certificates of loyalty and patriotism to different sections and people of society neither could the same establishment compel the media regulator to rescind licence of any particular TV channel while branding it disloyal to the state.

They said the journalists’ fraternity, regardless of the conflicting business interests of media houses, had complete unity in their ranks for the cause of freedom of press and in no way were they ready to accept any propaganda being aired regarding the attack on the life of Hamid Mir.

Also speaking on the occasion, Editor of Daily Jang Nazir Leghari said the establishment, which at present had been trying to brand Jang and Geo TV as disloyal to the state in the past had declared the leaders of East Pakistan A K Fazlul Haq and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, who in fact had been at the forefront in the struggle for the creation of Pakistan, as traitors. He said the same tyrannical fashion of the state for unduly awarding certificates of disloyalty had dated back to the times of Socrates as the famous Greek philosopher had been sentenced to death while declaring him an enemy of the state.

He said the 180 million population of the country would never be affected by the propaganda of the establishment as it would always hold Hamid Mir in high esteem as the torchbearer of the struggle for securing the rights of the people of Pakistan.

He said the dissenting voice of the media had not been stifled during the draconian and repressive military and martial law rule of the 1980s in the country and in the present modern-day, no state authority would be able to shut down publication of newspapers or transmission of TV channels through the coercive means.

He said it was high time that the owners of media houses and publishers of newspapers sort out their mutual and conflicting interests for the greater cause of freedom of media.

Tahir Najmi, Editor of Daily Express, said the journalistic fraternity had only one consensus opinion about the attack on the life of Hamid Mir that the incident was highly condemnable, tantamount to curbing the freedom of press, while the criminal elements and conspirators behind the attack, regardless of their influence or status, should be brought to justice without any undue delay.

He said the business interests of owners of media houses had been behind the present situation of division and polarisation persisting on the national media scene following the attack on Hamid Mir.

He said the working journalists and their representative associations like Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists had always been in the forefront in the struggle against censorship and curbs on the media and press but associations of editors and newspaper publishers had never played their due role in securing the freedom of press.

Saeed Khawar, Resident Editor of Daily Nawa-e-Waqat Karachi, said the media institutions should show harmony in their relationship with each other so that there should be no damage to the cause of freedom of the media.

He said the shutting down of any TV channel or newspaper in the country would be perceived as an act of the state in total disrespect of morality and ethical norms being considered necessary for freedom of the media in the country.

Owais Aslam Ali said the armed attack on the life of Hamid Mir had massively damaged the cause of freedom of the press and also compromised the cause of safety and security of media institutions, which was required for their independent functioning.

Dr Jabbar Khattak, secretary-general of CPNE, said the democratically elected governments had always been tolerant to criticism of the media and press against their policies while military regimes in the country had always tried to stifle the voice of the dissenting media.

Aamir Mahmood of CPNE also said the CPNE as the representative forum of working and publisher editors in the country would never accept the present form of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), and its repressive laws, mainly due to abnormal constitution of the electronic media regulator. He said Pemra in the present form was not in a position to consider any application forwarded to it for revoking the license of any TV channel.

Vice-president CPNE and chairman of its Sindh Committee Shaheen Qureshi said that World Press Freedom Day in the country should be observed from next year as the day to commemorate Shuhuda (martyrs) of journalism in the country as over 100 journalists in the country had so far laid down their lives for upholding the cause of freedom of the press.

Imran boycotts Jang Group, accuses it of influencing polls

 

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, on Friday accused Geo TV of being a part in rigging during the 2013 general elections and announced to boycott the Jang Group and the channel.
Talking to media persons here, Imran said that no PTI representative would appear on Geo or subscribe to the Jang Group newspapers till the time the private television apologised for its role in the rigging.

Imran demanded of the government to investigate through an independent commission the foreign funding coming to the media houses, including Geo, which had allegedly received money from the US and other foreign sources.

He justified his party’s decision to take to the streets against the “unprecedented rigging’ in the last year’s general elections and singled out the returning officers (ROs) for their role in the irregularity, saying that he would not let this go without a probe.

Imran noted that PTI candidate for NA-118 had to pay a total of Rs5.2 million for thumbprint verification of voters, the election tribunal and lawyer fee, and it was found that out of 325 bags, 170 were opened while only 69 had all the requisite documents.

He continued that out of 170,000 votes cast in the constituency, only 81,000 had either partial or complete record and more importantly, 70 bags did not belong to the Election Commission of Pakistan but were altered.

The PTI chairman pointedtribunals to going to the Supreme Court (SC) and raising the issue in the National Assembly.“This was simply because the PTI did not want to destabilise the government. Never at any time did the PTI accept the rigging that had clearly taken place in general elections 2013,” he noted.

Imran asserted that almost a year had passed and neither the tribunals nor the SC had given any decisions on their petitions. PTI’s demand for thumbprint verification in only four constituencies had still not been acceded by the ECP and the petition for the same remained undecided by the SC.

The PTI chairman said that his party had been left with no option but to come out on to the streets to protest the rigging so that future elections were made transparent and fair, or people would lose faith in the entire electoral process.

“Others will assume that the only way to win is through rigging. And the unprecedented turnout of youth and the urban professionals who came out to vote will again retreat and they won’t bother to cast their votes. This bodes ill for the future of democracy in Pakistan and the PTI will not allow this to happen,” he noted.

Imran pointed to the ‘questionable role’ of the ex-chief justice of Pakistan, the ROs and the Election Commissioners from the Punjab and Sindh in aiding and abetting rigging, along with the now infamous 35 punctures of the then Punjab acting Chief Minister Najam Sethi, who had been duly rewarded.

He drew attention to the comprehensive PTI White Paper on rigging as well as the Fafen report.The PTI chief recalled when thumbprint verifications were ordered and then Nadra chief complied in NA 118, Babar Sattar stated that the Nadra chief was threatened by Rana Sanaullah and then removed. The IHC decision on Nadra chief’s removal corroborated this statement.

It is interesting to note that for other reasons, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which was in power, had also boycotted Geo for some months but had to return to it on its own. PTI’s boycott of Jang Group was discussed during the recently held Core Committee meeting and more deliberations were held in a select group of party leaders.

Party insiders told ‘The News’ that the boycott of the leading media group, which been in the forefront in projecting the PTI, would be counterproductive, as ultimately Imran would have to end it, as had the PPP.

TTP says it doesn’t know who to talk to for peace

ISLAMABAD: Accusing the government of using the dialogue process as a political tool and to increase military operations, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Thursday said they did not know who to talk to in Islamabad, as they believed the government had no powers to reach an amicable solution.
In a statement, TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said they did not know whether they should talk to the government or the military.Shahid said talks and war could not go together adding that the Taliban had the right to defend themselves. He said, on the one hand, the government claimed it was interested in the dialogue but, on the other hand, it hurled threats at the Taliban.

He said the army had imposed a war on the people in Babar and Shaktoi areas of South Waziristan in the last two days. He also condemned the police action against the relatives of missing persons in Islamabad and said such a situation could not provide an environment for a meaningful and serious dialogue.

“The TTP has insisted that it is ready to talk in the interest of Islam and the Muslims of Pakistan. But we will not accept that the dialogue is used as a political tool and to pursue war startegy,” he said.

Shahid said the TTP had shown sincerity and seriousness during the talks and gifted a 45-day ceasefire to the people and the country but the government had not shown any seriousness since the talks took off.

He said the Taliban had left it to the people of Pakistan to decide whether a war or talks could go together and asked if it was the responsibility of the Taliban only to make the process successful.

He said the Taliban will not step back from serious and useful talks but would not accept the politics of threats and war.“We are fighting for the supremacy of Sharia and our Mujahideen have the capability to face any difficult situation and know how to give a befitting response to the enemy,” the TTP spokesman said

Russia assures US it won’t invade Ukraine

KOSTYANTYNIVKA: Moscow has assured Washington it will not invade Ukraine, the US Defense Department said after the United States and Europe imposed fresh sanctions on Russia over its role in the former Soviet republic.

As Western powers stepped up the pressure on Moscow over the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, the White House on Monday slapped sanctions on seven Russian officials and 17 firms close to President Vladimir Putin.

The European Union said it was adding 15 names to its own list while Canada added nine names and two banks.

Tensions on the ground in Ukraine spiked when a pro-Moscow mayor was shot and badly wounded and rebels seized another town.

The Pentagon said that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had spoken by phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu and that "Shoigu reiterated his assurance that Russian forces would not invade Ukraine".

Defense Department spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby, in a statement, said the two men discussed a range of issues related to the situation in Ukraine, with Hagel requesting clarification of Russia´s intentions in eastern Ukraine.

Hagel urged an end to Russia´s "destabilising influence inside Ukraine and warned that continued aggression would further isolate Russia and result in more diplomatic and economic pressure," Kirby said.

The Pentagon chief also asked for Moscow´s help in securing the release of seven inspectors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe being held in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow said that, during the phone call with Hagel, Shoigu called on the United States to tone down its rhetoric on the Ukraine crisis.

The Kremlin vowed there would be a "painful" response for Washington to the sanctions imposed.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency that Moscow was "disgusted" by the US action, which he said showed Washington had "completely lost touch with reality".

 

Malala makes it again to Time’s 100

NEW YORK: Malala Yousafzai is among the world’s most influential people, according to a list published by the Time magazine on Saturday.

Malala, 16, is the only Pakistani on the list of people, who according to the magazine have inspired others around the world.

The list also includes a profile by another star, explaining why the person deserves a spot.

Former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford who was shot in the head in Tuscon, Arizona, in 2011 paying tribute to Malala praises the Pakistani activist’s courage and resilience.

Gifford wrote for Time that she, like many people, draws inspiration and strength from Malala Yousafzai, who was also shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012.

“Malala is a testament that women everywhere will not be intimidated into silence.” “I have seen courage in many places, but Malala’s courage is uncommon,” Giffords wrote.

In July, Malala spoke at the UN and reminded viewers that everyone’s voice matters in the fight for education. “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.”

The teen activist, who published her first book I Am Malala in October, was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

Giffiord wrote, “I have seen courage in many places in the thousands of our nation’s military members I have met and represented; in those who ran toward the gunfire in a Safeway parking lot on January 8, 2011; and in our leaders who take the tough votes because it’s the right thing to do, but Malala’s courage is uncommon.”

“In the face of oppression and bitter injustice, she demands education and opportunity. In the face of violence from the hands of cowards, she refuses to back down.”

Malala was also selected to write the profile of former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, a potential presidential candidate in the next election, who also figures on the list of world’s most influential people, calling her “a symbol of strength for women across the world”.

The Pakistani activist wrote, “It was she (Clinton) who famously said, ‘Women’s rights are human rights’. She not only spoke those words, but also dedicated her life to empowering women around the world through politics and philanthropy. She has been a source of strength for many women, including myself, my family and those who stood by me after I was attacked.”

US says it is watching events after attack on Hamid Mir

WASHINGTON: The US has said it is watching developments in Pakistan after the attack on Geo TV journalist Hamid Mir as it launched an annual press freedom campaign.

“On the expected blockage of Geo TV, we’re aware of these reports and also aware of the reports that the government has sent a reference to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to stop Geo TV transmission. We’re continuing to follow events,” US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

“We continue to wish Hamid Mir a speedy recovery and to call on the government of Pakistan to bring all those responsible for these attacks on the media to justice,” Ms Psaki said in response to a question.

Pakistan’s defence ministry has filed a complaint with the country’s media regulatory authority seeking cancellation of Geo TV’s licence after Mir’s brother accused “certain elements” in the ISI spy agency and its chief of orchestrating the attack, a charge denied by the military.

With world press freedom day around the corner on May 3, the state department launched its third annual ‘Free the Press’ campaign in New York.

“Beginning on Monday and all of next week, we will highlight emblematic cases of imperilled reporters and media outlets that have been targeted, oppressed, imprisoned or otherwise harassed because of their professional work,” Ms Psaki said.

If Geo-Jang Group is anti-state, it should be banned

 

 

 

 

ISLAMABAD: If the Jang-Geo Group is really anti-Pakistan or is working on enemy’s agenda, it has no right to operate in Pakistan.
Since no less than the premier intelligence agency of the country — the ISI — has charged the Geo network with these serious allegations, it is now the agency’s responsibility to bring all the required material against Jang and Geo in the court of law and get them banned.

The ISI, in its petition filed with Pemra against Geo, charged, “Geo network has a history of acting illegally in furtherance of anti-Pakistan agenda. If required, material can be provided to the regulator.”

Why ‘if required’? It must be done because as per the claim of the ISI it involves the “furtherance of anti-Pakistan agenda”. If the ISI is so sure about the anti-Pakistan agenda of Geo and has all the material to prove its case, suppressing such material and not doing anything against Geo and Jang Group is like hurting the national interest.

The ISI should not wait for a call from Pemra. One is really astonished why the ISI has not provided the material showing that Geo-Jang is anti-Pakistan to the present government or the previous governments earlier.

Ironically, Imran Khan, the PTI chairman, leveled similar allegations in a public meeting on Friday. He has given credence to the ISI allegations. Only a few months back when Khan was provided “material” against Geo by a TV anchor in a live show, Khan was formally offered by the Geo management to get all these allegations probed by a committee of his choice and then decide if these allegations had any truth.

Asad Umar, a senior PTI senior, was also in the knowledge of this offer from Geo but despite the lapse of over two months, no probe has been conducted by the PTI leader.

I have raised these issues with the Geo-Jang management quite a few times and always found them confidently dismissing these charges. Instead, they say that the Jang-Geo management has already approached the court of law against such allegations. Here is a chance for the PTI leader, the ISI and anyone else who has any such material against Geo and Jang group to prove these allegations before the court of law. It would not only be a great service to Pakistan but a special favour to the employees, including me who think otherwise.

Last year when some of the allegations against Geo-Jang Group made headlines with respect to the Media Commission’s report, the Supreme Court sought details from Pemra, which had apologised to the Supreme Court over the statement regarding Geo TV’s awareness campaigns, including ‘Aman Ki Asha’ and ‘Zara Sochiye’.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, was hearing the case regarding a Pemra official’s statement that ‘Aman Ki Asha’ and ‘Zara Sochiye’ were foreign funded programmes.

Counsel for Pemra Zulfiqar Maluka had submitted a written apology before the bench and stated that Pemra apologised over its statement regarding members of media commission as they were respectful. The then Chief Justice had remarked that it was the non-serious attitude of the Pemra officials, as they should behave in a responsible manner.

Hamid Mir and Absar Alam, the petitioners in the case, had told the SC that they did not seek an apology from Pemra. Instead, they said they wanted Pemra to present evidence to prove its allegations.

These serious allegations are hurled time and again but there has been no probe as yet. As it has not been done earlier, the ISI and the PTI should get it done now for the sake of Pakistan.

TTP condemns blast, terms it ‘un-Islamic’

 

PESHAWAR: The spokesman of the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Shahidullah Shahid, while condemning the bomb blast at the fruit and vegetable market, Islamabad, claimed on Wednesday that the TTP was still adhering to the ceasefire announcement and termed the killing of innocent people unethical, un-Islamic and prohibited.
He said that the TTP condemned the bomb blast that killed 24 people as well as the attack on a train in Sibi on Tuesday.In a statement, Shahidullah Shahid said that attacking innocent civilians was illegal and prohibited adding that the Taliban condemned the blasts that targeted public places. “Hidden elements shouldn’t be ignored in such acts,” he added.

Shahidullah Shahid said that the oppressed people of Balochistan and Sindh were their brothers but targeting innocent people was a crime.He said that foreign hands should not be ignored in such attacks because they wanted to punish the people for their love of Islam. He said after failing to suppress a militant organisation, these forces launched attacks to defame the organisation. He said in the past as well, these hidden hands carried out blasts in Lahore, Peshawar and other cities to bring a bad name to the TTP.

Shahidullah Shahid said that the ceasefire announced by the TTP had been recognised by the media and asked the people to realise who was behind such heinous crimes.

 

Modi’s rally at Bommanahalli aims to woo IT voters

The Hindu Loud speakers are being rigged up ahead of Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's visit to Bommanahalli in Bangalore on Monday. Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

He may pronounce his vision for Bangalore’s development: Ashok

Setting his eyes firmly on the techies of the country’s IT capital, Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is holding a rally near Electronics City on Tuesday evening.

A 20-acre plot at Bommanahalli near the Bangalore-Hosur Road will be the venue.

The party is keen on wooing the techies, who form a sizeable number of voters in Bangalore, as that may turn out to be a decisive factor in all the Lok Sabha seats in Bangalore.

Brisk preparations

The BJP is making brisk preparations for the rally. The former Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashok, who reviewed the preparations, cited two reasons for choosing Bommanahalli for the event. “The first reason is that we want to woo the IT community. Another reason: we want this rally to help not just the three seats of Bangalore North, South and Central, but also that of Bangalore Rural. Hence we chose this place as it is almost on the border of Bangalore city,” he said.

Mr. Ashok, who is spearheading the party’s campaign in Bangalore, said this rally could be a “game-changer” for the party’s prospects in the city seats. “As this is a rally which is devoted to Bangalore seats, Mr. Modi is likely to share his vision for the development of Bangalore,” he said.

He said about 12,000 people had registered as participants for the rally through online system. He said seating arrangements were being made for about one lakh people.

Early on Tuesday, Mr. Modi will address poll rallies at Koppal, Bagalkot and Mysore, before arriving at the Bommanahalli rally.

Nicole Kidman keeping it real in latest roles

LOS ANGELES: With several films set to debut this year, including such disparate turns as a taxidermist villainess, mysterious amnesiac and an actress-turned-princess, Nicole Kidman will again become a familiar face in theaters.

While maintaining a steady presence in Hollywood for more than two decades, the 46-year-old Academy Award winner has been focusing more in recent years on raising her two daughters with husband and country star Keith Urban — away from the spotlight in Nashville, Tenn.

For her latest role in "The Railway Man," out April 11, the "Moulin Rouge" and "The Hours" star plays a supportive wife to World War II veteran Eric Lomax (Colin Firth). In the autobiographical adaptation, Patti and Eric Lomax confront his past as a prisoner of war in Thailand, where he worked on the "death railway," a 258-mile stretch of treacherous train track running into Burma.

Upcoming this year, Kidman will also play a villainess in "Paddington," amnesiac in "Before I Go to Sleep," leading lady Grace Kelly in "Grace of Monaco" and Middle East pioneer Gertrude Bell in "Queen of the Desert."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Kidman discussed tackling portrayals of realer-than-real women like former nurse Patti Lomax, Gertrude Bell and her highly anticipated role in "Grace of Monaco," which is opening this year's Cannes Film Festival. ("Grace" was delayed from release last year following creative differences between the film's director and distributor.)

___

AP: You've played so many characters over the years, but how do you approach the ones based on actual people, like Virginia Woolf, Grace Kelly and Patti Lomax?

Kidman: Patti is different because she's still alive and was able to give me information about herself. I didn't meet her until I started filming. Everyone kept saying, "Do you want to meet her?" I was like, "No, I'd really like to be able to watch her in an interview." Actually, the producer sat with her for hours — he's a very good friend of hers — and taped her and sent me the tapes. I basically had access to her whole life, stories about her, her mannerisms and behavior, like I was a fly on the wall.

AP: You have three films coming out with Colin Firth ("The Railway Man," ''Before I Go to Sleep," ''Paddington"). What is it about him that compels you to continue to work with him?

Kidman: I just enjoy him. I really enjoy his brain and his talent, but he has a really great sense of humor. Me and millions of other women in the world go, "Wow! Colin Firth!" My mom adores him. My sister adores him. I've just got so many friends who go, "Oh my gosh. Colin Firth." I now know him in a different way, but I have such respect for him as an actor.

AP: Tell me what it was like to play Grace Kelly. Have you seen the film yet?

Kidman: I have not seen the version that's showing at Cannes, but obviously I will. I may be seeing it opening night at Cannes. It was the chance of a lifetime to play her. I really admire her, and I think she has such otherworldly qualities. I think she has an aura about her. I don't know if I'm able to capture that, but I was honored to have the chance to. We'll see. It's only a six-month period of her life that we depict. It's a fairytale. It's not a heavy drama. It's got beautiful costumes. It's sumptuous.

AP: You've had the chance to work with some incredible filmmakers throughout your career. What was it like teaming up recently with director Werner Herzog for "Queen of the Desert"?

Kidman: I call it Werner World. Werner World is just a different realm. It's glorious. I said to him, "Werner, I feel like I've been in a dream with you for the past two-and-a-half months, and now I've got my feet back on earth." I'm at a place where I'm so interested in exploring things and going places that I haven't been. I want my life to be full, so that means all of us — my family — up and moving to Morocco and doing this so we can have the experience.

AP: Between your schedule and Keith's schedule, how do you balance everything?

Kidman: Every time when we're not working, we spend together. That's it. It's that simple. We're not off. We have a very simple life but an extraordinary creative life, if that makes sense. I'm lucky that I've got a partner that's totally committed to making it work. We have two little girls that we adore, and we're very blessed, in the sense of having a family. We certainly talk about everything. We make the decisions together.

AP: Where are you most happy these days? Is it in Nashville or on a set somewhere or back in Australia?

Kidman: Happiness, that's obviously different for everybody, but what I call my joy, the thing that makes me feel incredibly satiated, is my family, and then I get to go and play out all of my ideas and feelings through all these different characters. Then, I come back to just being mama.

Rumors have it Musharraf going abroad

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital is rife with speculation about a special plane landing at the Noor Khan Airbase to take former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf out of the country.

The speculations about the landing of business aircraft started swirling hours after the Special Court disposed of two petitions filed by the accused seeking permission for traveling abroad.

The court ruled that the former military strongman was put on the Exit Control List (ECL) by the government and it had no authority to remove the travel restriction.

The court further said that the government which banned the accused from traveling abroad was authorized to remove his name from the ECL.

Our correspondent says the plane seems to be an air ambulance and has been parked away from lights at the airbase.

Sources in Dubai told Geo News that security arrangements have been made at the residence of Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf who ruled the county from 1999 to 2008 is being treated for his heart disease at a medical facility run by the Pakistan Army. The former SSG commando in his applications had prayed the court to allow him to travel abroad for his treatment as well as to visit his ailing mother.

Political analysts are of the view that the Special Court had thrown the ball in the government’s court.

Samsung Galaxy S5 is packaged for India, but not really priced for it

 

Samsung Galaxy S5 will cost between Rs 51,000 and Rs 53,000

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is finally here. But you might not be really happy about the fact that the phone costs at least Rs 51,000. It could be as high as Rs 53,000.

The other small catch is the fact that the phone being launched in India is not powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 and hence would not a 4G phone. The version being launched in India is powered by an octo-core processor combo (quad 1.9 GHz + Quad 1.3 GHz) which seems to be similar to the Exynos 5 processors on the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note Pro 12.2-inch tablet.

As reported by indianexpress.com earlier, the company also launched the entire new Gear range along with the Galaxy S5. The Gear 2 is priced at Rs 21,900, while the Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit are more affordable with a Rs 15,900 price tag. It has also opened up these devices to almost the entire Galaxy range, of which there are 35 million users in India. Earlier, the Gear devices synced only with a handful of top-end Galaxy phones. However, they still don’t work beyond Galaxy ecosystem and Vineet Taneja, the country head for India, said this has been done deliberately to draw people towards the Galaxy range.

While the pricing might appear steep for a lot of people, the fact is that high prices have not really deterred people from buying flagship phones. A case in point is the success of iPhone 5s despite its price tag. Plus, Samsung is certain that people who want to buy these phones will do so with the help of EMI schemes.

The rest of the specs of the Samsung Galaxy S5 are similar to what was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in the last week of February. The change in processor has been necessitated by the fact that there is still no nationwide 4G service in India. HTC, which earlier this week announced the HTC One M8 which is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor as the S5, has decided to launch only the 4G version in India.

Putin annexes Crimea, says it is Russia’s in people’s hearts, minds

Putin with three top leaders of Crimea after signing the annexation treaty at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

President Vladimir V Putin claimed Crimea as a part of Russia on Tuesday, reversing what he described as a historic mistake made by the Soviet Union 60 years ago and brushing aside international condemnation that could leave Russia isolated for years to come.
Within minutes of delivering a passionate speech to Russia’s political elite, Putin cemented his pledge by signing a draft treaty with Crimean leaders to make the strategic Black Sea peninsula part of Russia. The events unfolded two days after Crimeans voted in a disputed referendum to break away from Ukraine. While the treaty signed Tuesday still needs parliamentary approval, that is regarded as a formality.
“Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of people,” Putin declared in his address, delivered in the chandeliered St George’s Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace before hundreds of members of Parliament, governors and others.
His remarks, which lasted 47 minutes, were interrupted repeatedly by thunderous applause, standing ovations and at the end chants of “Russia, Russia”. Some in the audience wiped tears from their eyes.
Reaching deep into Russian and Soviet history, Putin said he did not seek to divide Ukraine any further, but vowed that he would protect Russia’s national security from what he described as Western, and particularly American, actions that had left Russia feeling cornered.
He spoke as he has often in the past of the humiliations Russia has suffered in a world with one dominant superpower — from the NATO air war in Kosovo in 1999 against Moscow’s Serbian allies to the one in Libya that toppled Col. Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 on what he called the false pretence of a humanitarian intervention.
He dipped into deep wells of emotion, starting with the 10th century baptism of Prince Vladimir, whose conversion to Orthodox Christianity transformed the kingdom then known as Rus, to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left many Russians of his generation feeling that they had been stripped of their nation overnight.
“Millions of Russians went to bed in one country and woke up abroad,” he said. “Overnight, they were minorities in the former Soviet republics, and the Russian people became one of the biggest — if not the biggest — divided nation in the world.
“They cheated us again and again, made decisions behind our back, presenting us with completed facts,” he said of the West. “That’s the way it was with the expansion of NATO in the east, with the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders. They always told us the same thing: ‘Well, this doesn’t involve you.’ “
Western reaction was swift. The White House condemned the move, which it said it would not recognize. Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, told Parliament on Tuesday that the crisis in Ukraine “is the most serious test of European security in the 21st century so far.”
“No amount of sham and perverse democratic process or skewed historical references can make up for the fact that this is an incursion into a sovereign state and a land grab of part of its territory with no respect for the law of that country or for international law,” he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel firmly rejected Moscow’s absorption of Crimea, a position she said was widely supported by international organizations including the United Nations and the European Council.
“The so-called referendum breached international law, the declaration of independence which the Russian president accepted yesterday was against international law, and the absorption into the Russian Federation is, in our firm opinion, also against international law,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
(In Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said Russia had been suspended from the G8 because of the Crimean annexation, wire agencies reported. Russia has the G8’s rotating leadership currently, and Putin was scheduled to host President Barack Obama and other leaders of the group in Sochi in June.
“Concerning the G8… we decided to suspend Russia’s participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia,” Fabius said on Europe-1 radio.)
Putin brushed aside concerns about economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation, saying the West had forced Russia’s hand. By supporting the political uprising that toppled Ukraine’s president, Viktor F Yanukovych, the US and Europe crossed “a red line,” he said, forcing him to act to protect Crimea’s population from what he called “Russophobes and neo-Nazis” that had seized control in an illegal coup abetted by foreigners.
“If you press a spring too hard,” he said, “it will recoil.”

Vladimir Putin annexes Crimea, says it has always been Russia’s

Putin signed an order “to approve the draft treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on adopting the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation”.

With a historic sweep of his pen, President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on Tuesday to annex Crimea, describing the move as correcting past injustice and a necessary response to what he called Western encroachment upon Russia’s vital interests.
In a 40-minute speech televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said “in people’s hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia”.
He dismissed Western criticism of Sunday’s Crimean referendum — in which residents of the strategic Black Sea peninsula overwhelmingly backed breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia — as a manifestation of the West’s double standards.
At the same time, Putin said  Russia did not want to move into other regions of Ukraine: “We don’t want division of Ukraine.” Thousands of Russian troops have been massed along Ukraine’s eastern border for the last few weeks — Russia says that was for military training while the US and Europe view the troops as an intimidation tactic.
In Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said Russia had been suspended from the G8 because of the Crimean annexation. Russia has the G8’s rotating leadership currently, and Putin was scheduled to host President Barack Obama and other leaders of the group in Sochi in June.
“Concerning the G8… we decided to suspend Russia’s participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia,” Fabius said on Europe-1 radio.
Britain’s foreign Office said Russia was still part of the G8, even though a suspension was not ruled out. British foreign secretary William Hague said Putin had chosen “the route of isolation, denying the citizens of his own country, and of Crimea, partnership with the international community and full membership of a range of international organisations”, and that it was now highly likely that other G8 countries would want to meet without Russia.
Tokyo and Berlin said they were not aware of a decision to suspend Moscow.
In Kiev, the Ukrainian government said it did not recognise the treaty signed in Moscow. “The signing of the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation and the corresponding address by the Russian president has nothing in common with law or democracy or common sense,” foreign ministry spokesman Evhen Perebynis said on Twitter.
“Putin’s address very clearly demonstrates just how real the threat is that Russia poses to international security and international security,” he said.
Speaking at the Kremlin’s white-and-gold St George Hall on the other hand, Putin cast the post-Yanukovych Ukrainian government as illegitimate, driven by radical “nationalists, neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites”.
He said the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine had been abused by the new Ukrainian government. He insisted that Crimea’s vote to join Russia was in line with international law and reflected its right for self-determination.

Putin annexes Crimea, says it is Russia’s in people’s hearts, minds

Putin with three top leaders of Crimea after signing the annexation treaty at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

President Vladimir V Putin claimed Crimea as a part of Russia on Tuesday, reversing what he described as a historic mistake made by the Soviet Union 60 years ago and brushing aside international condemnation that could leave Russia isolated for years to come.
Within minutes of delivering a passionate speech to Russia’s political elite, Putin cemented his pledge by signing a draft treaty with Crimean leaders to make the strategic Black Sea peninsula part of Russia. The events unfolded two days after Crimeans voted in a disputed referendum to break away from Ukraine. While the treaty signed Tuesday still needs parliamentary approval, that is regarded as a formality.
“Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia in the hearts and minds of people,” Putin declared in his address, delivered in the chandeliered St George’s Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace before hundreds of members of Parliament, governors and others.
His remarks, which lasted 47 minutes, were interrupted repeatedly by thunderous applause, standing ovations and at the end chants of “Russia, Russia”. Some in the audience wiped tears from their eyes.
Reaching deep into Russian and Soviet history, Putin said he did not seek to divide Ukraine any further, but vowed that he would protect Russia’s national security from what he described as Western, and particularly American, actions that had left Russia feeling cornered.
He spoke as he has often in the past of the humiliations Russia has suffered in a world with one dominant superpower — from the NATO air war in Kosovo in 1999 against Moscow’s Serbian allies to the one in Libya that toppled Col. Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 on what he called the false pretence of a humanitarian intervention.
He dipped into deep wells of emotion, starting with the 10th century baptism of Prince Vladimir, whose conversion to Orthodox Christianity transformed the kingdom then known as Rus, to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which left many Russians of his generation feeling that they had been stripped of their nation overnight.
“Millions of Russians went to bed in one country and woke up abroad,” he said. “Overnight, they were minorities in the former Soviet republics, and the Russian people became one of the biggest — if not the biggest — divided nation in the world.
“They cheated us again and again, made decisions behind our back, presenting us with completed facts,” he said of the West. “That’s the way it was with the expansion of NATO in the east, with the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders. They always told us the same thing: ‘Well, this doesn’t involve you.’ “
Western reaction was swift. The White House condemned the move, which it said it would not recognize. Britain’s foreign secretary, William Hague, told Parliament on Tuesday that the crisis in Ukraine “is the most serious test of European security in the 21st century so far.”
“No amount of sham and perverse democratic process or skewed historical references can make up for the fact that this is an incursion into a sovereign state and a land grab of part of its territory with no respect for the law of that country or for international law,” he said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel firmly rejected Moscow’s absorption of Crimea, a position she said was widely supported by international organizations including the United Nations and the European Council.
“The so-called referendum breached international law, the declaration of independence which the Russian president accepted yesterday was against international law, and the absorption into the Russian Federation is, in our firm opinion, also against international law,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
(In Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said Russia had been suspended from the G8 because of the Crimean annexation, wire agencies reported. Russia has the G8’s rotating leadership currently, and Putin was scheduled to host President Barack Obama and other leaders of the group in Sochi in June.
“Concerning the G8… we decided to suspend Russia’s participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia,” Fabius said on Europe-1 radio.)
Putin brushed aside concerns about economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation, saying the West had forced Russia’s hand. By supporting the political uprising that toppled Ukraine’s president, Viktor F Yanukovych, the US and Europe crossed “a red line,” he said, forcing him to act to protect Crimea’s population from what he called “Russophobes and neo-Nazis” that had seized control in an illegal coup abetted by foreigners.
“If you press a spring too hard,” he said, “it will recoil.”