US drone strikes set ‘dangerous precedent’: study

WASHINGTON: America´s reliance on secretive drone missile strikes against terror suspects has set a "dangerous precedent" that could be imitated by other countries and trigger wider wars around the world, former senior US officials said in a report Thursday.

The ex-officials acknowledged that the robotic aircraft are a useful tool that is "here to stay," but urged President Barack Obama to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds their use, introduce stricter rules for the strikes and take a hard look at whether the bombing raids were genuinely effective.

"The increasing use of lethal UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) may create a slippery slope leading to continual or wider wars," said the report by a bipartisan panel sponsored by the Stimson Center think tank.

The employment of drones for attacks outside of traditional battlefields "is likely to be imitated by other states as well," fueling instability and increasing "the risk of widening conflicts in regions around the globe," it said.

"US practices set a dangerous precedent that may be seized upon by other states -- not all of which are likely to behave as scrupulously as US officials," it said.

In the eyes of the rest of the world, the United States has essentially claimed the legal right to kill anyone it believes is a member of the Al-Qaeda network or its allies "in any state on earth, at any time, based on secret criteria and secret evidence," the report said.

The pervasive secrecy made it difficult for lawmakers in Congress to serve as a check on executive power and threatened to undermine traditional legal principles that underpin international law, it said.

Obama has promised to curb the secrecy around the strikes and in May said that any operation should not "create more enemies than we take off the battlefield."

The number of strikes in Pakistan and Yemen have decreased since 2010, according to unofficial tallies based on media reports, but the level of secrecy has changed little.

But the US president has faced criticism that he has failed to live up to his own pledges on drones to "uphold standards that reflect our values."

Call to acknowledge strikes
The report called on the Obama administration to adopt a more transparent stance and acknowledge drone strikes after they have been carried out in a foreign country. At the moment, US officials barely acknowledge the existence of the drone raids and do not reveal who was targeted and whether civilians were injured or how many killed.

"While secrecy may be required before and during each strike, strikes should generally be acknowledged by the United States after the fact," it said.

To ensure more accountability for a campaign largely conducted behind closed doors, the report urged Obama to create "a non-partisan independent commission to review lethal UAV policy."

The panel also said the Obama administration should fulfill its plan to transfer most of the drone strikes from the Central Intelligence Agency to the military, which operates under more transparent legal parameters compared to the spy service.

The authors questioned the overall efficacy of the drone strikes, saying it was not clear that the government had ever conducted a thorough analysis of the strategic advantages and disadvantages of using the robotic aircraft for counter-terrorism efforts.

It was time for the administration to conduct a "rigorous strategic review and cost-benefit analysis" of the drone raids, looking at the effect of past strikes on terror groups, local communities, public opinion and the cooperation of allies and partners, it said.

The ten-member task force that examined the controversial drone attacks included former senior intelligence and legal officials and was led by retired four-star general John Abizaid, who served as head of US Central Command, and Rosa Brooks, a former legal adviser at the Pentagon who is now a law professor at Georgetown University.

Human rights groups have long denounced the drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere as an unaccountable air war that operates virtually without scrutiny from Congress or the courts.

But the Stimson report was unusual as several of the authors were former high-ranking officials working in intelligence and counter-terrorism, including former legal advisers at the CIA, the State Department and the White House´s National Security Council.

Need to set up military tribunals for terrorists

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has sent in its officers and Jawans to lay down their lives so that the rest of us can live in peace. The Pakistan Army is at war. The rest of Pakistan does not seem to be. There is absolutely no doubt that the Pakistan Army will win the battle on the ground. But to win the war and there must be unity of effort.

Over the past 11 years, fatalities in terrorist violence stand at 52,653. Since 2002, there have been 398 suicide attacks killing 6,032 and injuring an additional 12,560. Since 2000, there have been 4,941 bomb blasts.

On September 20, 2008, the Marriott Islamabad was bombed. Rehman Malik, the-then minister of interior, charged Lashkar-e-Jhangvi for the attack.Justice Malik Muhammad Akram of the Anti-Terrorist Court acquitted Dr Usman, Rana Ilyas, Hameed Afzal and Tehseenullah Jan as the police failed to provide evidence against them.

On November 19, 2008, Major-General Ameer Faisal Alvi was shot by three gunmen on Islamabad Highway. The accused were set free for lack of evidence.On October 18, 2007, the Karachi bombing killed 140 and injured more than 350. Qari Saifullah Akhtar and his three sons, all linked to al-Qaeda and the outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad, were arrested. A month later, Saifullah was freed due to lack of evidence.

On May 8, 2002, 11 French engineers were targeted in Karachi. On September 18, Sharib Zubair was arrested as the mastermind behind the attack. Mufti Mohammad Sabir was also arrested as the suspected bomb-maker. The two men had their convictions overturned.

In 2009, some 629 terrorism cases came before the Anti-terrorism Courts (ATCs) in Punjab. Suspects in 471 cases were acquitted. In 2001 and 2003, a total of 333 arrests were made. Only 38 of them were convicted and the rest were acquitted.

The overall acquittal rate in terrorism-related cases stands at 75 percent. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the province most affected by terrorism, the acquittal rate is even higher. In Swat, some 575 terrorism-related cases were filed in the three Anti-Terrorism Courts.

Out of the 575, only 15 accused were sentenced.

In 2007, 28 cases were filed; only one accused was punished. In 2008, a total of eight cases were filed, six were acquitted; one was punished and one was declared wanted. In 2009, five cases were filed, four were released and one was punished. In 2011, a total of 191 accused were arrested, only four were sentenced.

Pakistan’s judicial system is ending up boosting the morale of Pakistan’s enemies. There is voluminous evidence that “the ease with which terror suspects are acquitted encourages terror outfits to indulge in worse actions with no fear of effective crackdowns.”

Military tribunals have been used in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and India. To be certain, military tribunals do not mean the imposition of military authority on Pakistan’s civilian population. To be sure, military tribunals will not be a substitute for Pakistan’s civilian judicial apparatus. Military tribunals would mean military justice only for enemy combatants.

Remember, “Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate”.

Daily Jang’s vehicle set on fire in Rawalpindi

 

RAWALPINDI: The anti-Jang Group people attacking the group through different means this time torched a delivery vehicle of the Daily Jang loaded with Friday’s religious edition, after kidnapping and torturing the driver of the vehicle, in the wee hours of Friday.
The driver was shifted to the Holy Family Hospital after the “well-known captors” threw the blindfolded man in critical condition somewhere at Rawat.The Banni Police, however, have registered the case against unidentified criminals under sections 436, 427, 341, 342, 147 and 149 PPC but haven’t yet traced the “criminals” embroiled in the anti-Jang Group activities.

The driver of the delivery vehicle, Mohammad Razzaq, an employee of the Universal Distribution Network (UDN), said he was attached with the delivery network of the Jang Group as a driver for the last two years, adding that he left the Al-Rehman Building on his vehicle (registration number AJKA-3103) loaded with thousands of copies of the Friday’s edition of Jang for the Akhbar Market, Aabpara, at 2:10am.

He said gunmen on two vehicles intercepted him and straightaway dragged him out of his vehicle and pushed him into one of their cars. The driver said that the gunmen thrashed him inhumanly, blindfolded him and tied his hands on his back with a nylon rope. He said that they kept torturing him during about one-hour-long drive and later threw him out of their vehicle.

Razzaq said that as the light of the dawn appeared, a passer-by untied him and on query, he told him he was at the Chamber Road near Rawat. He, however, walked to Rawat and sought help from a van driver and informed his brother from the van driver’s mobile phone who reached there and started searching the delivery vehicle, which was left at the place from where he was kidnapped. His brother shifted him to the Holy Family Hospital as his condition was worsening, the driver said.

In the meantime, an employee of Geo TV living on the however, shifted him to Holy Family Hospital as his condition was worsening, the driver said.In the meantime, an employee of Geo TV living at Kuri Road (Sadiqabad) found the Jang’s delivery van which was burnt along with Friday religious edition of the newspaper. He informed chief security officer of the Jang Group about location of the van at Kuri Road.

The management of the Jang Group reprinted the burned copies and sent them for distribution.Earlier, on May 30, unidentified assailants equipped with lethal weapons, set the van carrying The News and Jang Friday edition to transport to Islamabad, after creating fear among the people at Committee Chowk. People who witnessed the last Friday attack confirmed that the assailants were carrying lethal weapons and they acted as professional fighters. “Their delivery was not like normal citizens or agitators but they seemed as trained people,” the witnesses said.

Mohammad Razzaq said that about 10/12 gunmen, carrying kalashnikovs, suddenly jumped in front of the van and pointed their guns towards him, asking him to come out of the van if he wants to save his life otherwise they would burn him alive. He said that three were holding pistols and remaining were carrying kalashnikovs.

Another van of The News set on fire

 

RAWALPINDI: Unidentified assailants equipped with lethal weapons set a van carrying the copies of ‘The News’ to Islamabad on fire after creating panic among the people here at the Committee Chowk on Friday morning.
The people who witnessed the scene confirmed that the assailants were carrying lethal weapons and acted as professional fighters. “Their delivery was not like normal citizens or agitators but they seemed trained people,” the witnesses said.

Driver of ‘The News’ van Muhammad Razzaq said that around 10-12 gunmen, carrying Kalashnikovs, and pistols suddenly jumped in front of the van and pointed their guns towards him, asking him to come out of the vehicle if he wanted to save his life or they would burn him alive. He said that three attackers were holding pistols and the remaining were carrying Kalashnikovs.

“I am working with the UDN (Universal Dispatch Network) attached with the delivery network of the Jang Group as a driver for the last two years,” Razzaq said in his complaint lodged with the police, adding that he left the Al-Rehman Building on his van (registration number RIS-1011) after loading 7,000 copies of ‘The News’ for the Akhbar Market, Aabpara, at 5:05am. As he reached the Committee Chowk bus stop at about 5:10am, 10 to 12 bearded people suddenly jumped in front of the van and asked him to come out of the vehicle or he would be burnt alive. On his resistance, they dragged him out of the van, sprinkled kerosene oil on the vehicle and newspapers and set them on fire.

“The leading assailants were speaking Urdu in a Pashto slang while others were silent but active,” the driver said. He said that two among them, carrying cans of kerosene, came forward, sprinkled it on different parts of the vehicle and newspapers, threw a burning match stick on the newspaper copies and set the vehicle on fire. The assailants kept watching the burning van for a while and later ran away while shooting in the air.

The vehicle was destroyed within a few minutes before firefighters of Rescue-1122 could arrive.An atmosphere of fear was created in the area and the people rushed to safer places when the assailants waved lethal weapons, the witnesses said, adding that traffic at the Committee Chowk and adjacent roads was choked and remained suspended for hours.

The police high-ups later reached the scene and took obligatory action after collecting evidence from the crime scene and recorded statements of the people who had witnessed the episode.After the burning of The News van, the newspaper copies were again printed and distributed late in Islamabad.

It is a general perception of the people belonging to civil society and other walks of life that pleading its case in the court of law and before the people of Pakistan is the basic right of theGeo/Jang Group but the power active behind the scene is trying to silence the voice of Geo and Jang by resorting to such heinous and low-bred tactics.

“Public opinion is turning in favour of the Jang Group after the group’s administration tendered an apology as the religious scholars unanimously believed that doors of Allah Almighty are forever open and He always accepts request for forgiveness,” experts said.

“The News and Jang are not doing anything against the social or religious norms but simply pleading their case to seek justice. In these circumstances, why did some people attack The News?” they asked, adding, “There are some other powers active behind the scene who want to gain their objectives in the garb of spreading hatred against the Geo/Jang Group.”

The police have taken up the case and registered an FIR with the Ganjmandi Police Station against the unknown assailants on the complaint of the driver of the van, Muhammad Razzaq, under sections 436, 341, 427, 148, 149 PPC and started an investigation.

Van carrying Jang, The News bundles set on fire in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A van carrying bundles of the Daily Jang and The News was attacked near Committee Chowk.

Eight to ten armed men attacked the van and set it on fire after dousing it with petrol. The van was travelling from Rawalpindi to Islamabad. The drive of the van remained was not hurt in the attack.

According to sources over 7,000 copies of the newspapers were burnt resulting in losses in the hundreds of thousands.

The driver of the van said he was dragged out of the vehicle and threatened. He added that the attackers were carrying pistols and Kalashnikovs.

In a similar attack unidentified bike riders set a vehicle carrying bundles of the Daily Jang and The News on fire in Lahore on Sunday.

Pakistan to set up polio vaccination points at airports

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will set up mandatory polio immunisation points at its international airports in response to recommendations by the World Health Organisation, the health ministry said Tuesday.

The WHO warned Monday that the crippling disease has re-emerged as a public health emergency, with the virus currently affecting 10 countries worldwide and endemic in three including Pakistan.

"Special measures will include establishing mandatory immunisation counters on all airports, border crossings and seaports for all travellers," said ministry spokesman Sajid Ali Shah.

The WHO had called on Pakistan, Cameroon and Syria, seen as posing the greatest risk of exporting wild poliovirus, to ensure all residents and long-term visitors receive a polio vaccine between four weeks and a year before travelling abroad. For urgent travel, at least one vaccine dose should be given before departure, according to the emergency committee, which also called for all travellers to be given certificates proving they have been immunised.

Shah could not confirm whether long-term non-Pakistani residents would also be subject to immunisation under the new initiative. "That will be decided in a meeting scheduled soon," he said.

According to the WHO, Pakistan recorded 91 cases of polio last year, up from 58 in 2012. It has also recorded 59 of the world´s 74 cases this year.

The disease has re-emerged in Pakistan because the Taliban and other militants violently oppose inoculation campaigns and because of public fears that the vaccine leads to infertility.

Militants see the polio campaign as a cover for foreign spying and regularly attack immunisation teams, killing some 56 people since December 2012.Their opposition has increased since a Pakistani doctor helped track down terror chief Osama bin Laden in 2011 using a fake vaccine project.

Last month officials announced they would begin administering polio drops to children at security checkpoints in the country´s lawless tribal belt.

India, which recently celebrated the eradication of the disease, announced in December it would require Pakistanis to obtain vaccination certificates six weeks before cross-border travel.

Chinese consortium to set up two power plants in Pakistan

 

SANYA, China: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said the early harvest projects were important for Pakistan and their timely completion will give a boost to the national economy.
The prime minister stated this at a breakfast meeting with Chinese investors in Sanya, China.Qui Yafu, Chairman RUYI Group, a textile company, and Wang Weng Zong, CEO Huaneng Shanday, a power company, met the prime minister.

The Chinese companies showed their intention to form a consortium for investment in power sector in Pakistan in order to build two power plants.They appreciated the investment policies of Pakistan and said that pro-investment policies had attracted them for investment in Pakistan.

The prime minister said that the Chinese investment is important for Pakistan and it will bring Pakistan’s economy into take off stage.He said there are several opportunities in energy and infrastructure sector which provide investment opportunities to Chinese investors.

Nawaz assured full support and assistance of the government and said that the minor hiccups would be tackled. The two sides also exchanged documents showing agreement and intent of the two sides for investment in Sahiwal Power Plant.

The prime minister while talking to the media at this occasion said the Chinese consortium had agreed to invest in Sahiwal Power Plant which is another milestone achieved in the energy sector projects.He said that the construction of the project will begin in May this year and will be completed by 2016. It will have two power plants, each of 660 megawatt, producing 1,320 megawatt.

Indonesian vote to set governor on course for presidency

JAKARTA: Polling stations opened in Indonesia early Wednesday in legislative elections expected to boost the main opposition and move their popular presidential candidate a step closer to becoming the country´s next leader.

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, known by his nickname "Jokowi", is a fresh face in a country long dominated by aloof ex-military figures and tycoons from the three-decade rule of dictator Suharto.

The 52-year-old former furniture business owner has been a political phenomenon since his meteoric rise to the capital´s top job in 2012, with his common touch -- he regularly visits Jakarta´s slums in his trademark checked shirt -- winning him a huge following.

"We see him as a success and we see him as honest... We believe he will bring a new dawn to Indonesia," said Deni Ardiansyah, a 25-year-old Jakarta shop worker.

Buoyed by his popularity, Widodo´s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has long been ahead in opinion polls for the legislative elections, and the party extended its lead after nominating him for president last month.

The polls, spread across three time zones, opened in heavy rain in the easternmost region of Papua at 7:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), but logistical hiccups there may force some 30 districts to delay their votes for up to three days, an election official said.

"The polls are open in the main towns, like Jayapura, but last night planes still couldn´t reach some districts in the mountains," Papua province election official Betty Wanane told AFP.

She added that the local election body was not given a large enough budget to deliver all the ballots and boxes, and that several deadlines for logistics had been missed.

Local media reported cases of candidates making last-ditch attempts to buy votes with cooking oil, sugar and other handouts in a widespread but illegal practice.

Almost half a million police officers will secure the polls, with the help of more than 20,000 soldiers and more than a million civil officers, said National Police Chief Sutarman, who goes by one name.

Pre-election violence has been largely concentrated in the western province of Aceh, where deadly shootings and arson attacks have occurred.

The day is expected to be a bad one for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono´s ruling Democratic Party, with polls putting it in fourth place after a string of corruption scandals.

The legislative elections, the fourth in Indonesia since the end of authoritarian rule in 1998, are important because they decide who can run at presidential polls on July 9.A party or coalition of parties needs 20 percent of seats in the 560-seat lower house of parliament or 25 percent of the national vote to field a candidate.

The PDI-P is the only one out of 12 parties running nationwide seen as having a chance of achieving this on its own. Others will have to form coalitions to get over the threshold and nominate a candidate.

The eastern part of the vast archipelago of 17,000 islands was the first to vote, with polling stations opening later in central and western Indonesia.

Indonesian vote to set governor on course for presidency

JAKARTA: Polling stations opened in Indonesia early Wednesday in legislative elections expected to boost the main opposition and move their popular presidential candidate a step closer to becoming the country´s next leader.

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, known by his nickname "Jokowi", is a fresh face in a country long dominated by aloof ex-military figures and tycoons from the three-decade rule of dictator Suharto.

The 52-year-old former furniture business owner has been a political phenomenon since his meteoric rise to the capital´s top job in 2012, with his common touch -- he regularly visits Jakarta´s slums in his trademark checked shirt -- winning him a huge following.

"We see him as a success and we see him as honest... We believe he will bring a new dawn to Indonesia," said Deni Ardiansyah, a 25-year-old Jakarta shop worker.

Buoyed by his popularity, Widodo´s Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has long been ahead in opinion polls for the legislative elections, and the party extended its lead after nominating him for president last month.

The polls, spread across three time zones, opened in heavy rain in the easternmost region of Papua at 7:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), but logistical hiccups there may force some 30 districts to delay their votes for up to three days, an election official said.

"The polls are open in the main towns, like Jayapura, but last night planes still couldn´t reach some districts in the mountains," Papua province election official Betty Wanane told AFP.

She added that the local election body was not given a large enough budget to deliver all the ballots and boxes, and that several deadlines for logistics had been missed.

Local media reported cases of candidates making last-ditch attempts to buy votes with cooking oil, sugar and other handouts in a widespread but illegal practice.

Almost half a million police officers will secure the polls, with the help of more than 20,000 soldiers and more than a million civil officers, said National Police Chief Sutarman, who goes by one name.

Pre-election violence has been largely concentrated in the western province of Aceh, where deadly shootings and arson attacks have occurred.

The day is expected to be a bad one for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono´s ruling Democratic Party, with polls putting it in fourth place after a string of corruption scandals.

The legislative elections, the fourth in Indonesia since the end of authoritarian rule in 1998, are important because they decide who can run at presidential polls on July 9.A party or coalition of parties needs 20 percent of seats in the 560-seat lower house of parliament or 25 percent of the national vote to field a candidate.

The PDI-P is the only one out of 12 parties running nationwide seen as having a chance of achieving this on its own. Others will have to form coalitions to get over the threshold and nominate a candidate.

The eastern part of the vast archipelago of 17,000 islands was the first to vote, with polling stations opening later in central and western Indonesia.

PTI has set up exemplary govt in KP, says Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan claimed on Tuesday that his was the only party on which the nation had pinned hopes for a better future. He said that his party was ready to hold the local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 30.

He made this claim when an ex-candidate of the Qaumi Watan Party for PK-22, Charsadda, Khan Matta, and scores of his supporters joined the PTI here.Imran said his party had established an exemplary government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that would be expanded to other provinces soon.

Meanwhile, he condemned the attack on the Jaffar Express in Sibi and called for thorough investigations into it and awarding of the severest punishment to the culprits.PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said her party had emerged as the second largest political party in the general elections last year. She saidthis during a meeting with a team of US journalists, who called on her on Tuesday.

She noted that the PTI believed in elimination of corruption through across-the-board accountability, expansion of the tax net and imposition of the agriculture tax. She threw light on various initiatives taken by the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

APP adds: Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was ready to hold the local bodies (LB) elections in the province on April 30.Talking to the media outside parliament, he said that according to a recent survey, around 57 percent people were satisfied with the performance of the PTI government.

The chairman of PTI said that formation of a committee by the National Assembly to investigate the allegation of non-payment of taxes by members of parliament and report it within 90 days was a good development.

He said that the committee should first investigate non-payment of taxes by party heads. “I offer myself for the investigation first,” he added.Imran Khan said that payment of taxes by parliamentarians would enhance the prestige of parliament. He asked all the parliamentarians to declare their assets in and outside the country.

The PTI chairman said tax collection couldn’t be improved unless the politicians themselves set the example.To a question about the street children football team, he said that Pakistan had anincredible talent in all the sports. He said changing of the cricket team captain would harm the performance of the team.Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the PTI, in consultation with other opposition parties, would challenge the Pakistan Protection Bill.

Netherland set 152 for New Zealand

CHITTAGONG: The Netherlands made 151 for four wickets in 20 overs against New Zealand in their super 10 Group One match of the World Twenty20 in Chittagong on Saturday.

After being sent into bat by New Zealand, the Netherlands batted steadily to reach 50 in 55 balls and later 100 off 88 balls after losing three wickets.

However, a 60-run fourth wicket partnership between captain Peter Borren and tom Cooper enabled the Netherlands to set a moderate target for New Zealand.

Borren made 49 off 35 balls with seven fours and a six while Cooper scored an unbeaten 40 from 23 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.

Netherlands who have been without a win in the tournament so far need desperately a win to remain in the race while New Zealand won one of their two matches so far.

Stage set for Kajol's comeback

Kajol is gearing up to return to the silver screen in husband Ajay Devgn's next. A few days ago, the actress told the media that she had green-lighted a film to be produced by Ajay. Now, Mirror has learnt that the actor/producer has joined hands with Sunil and Kishore Lulla's Eros International to co-produce the film.

Kajol had previously said that the home venture may take off by year-end. A source close to her confirms, "With Eros on board, the film is taking off by November end and is targetting a 2015 release."

Govt to set up new committee for dialogue: Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for SAFRON Abdul Qadir Baloch has said that government will formulate a new committee to initiate dialogue process with representatives or group of Taliban for ensuring peace in the country.
Talking to Pakistan Television, he said that both the committees will restart talks under the chairmanship of Prime Minister.
He said that the committees will hold dialogue, adding that decision will be taken by the members of the government formed committee and Taliban concerned authorities.
Abdul Qadir Baloch appreciated the successful achievement of the committee for restarting dialogue to maintain peace in the country.
To a question, Minister said that government was thinking about the formulation of new committees to continue the dialogue process.
He said that the government in consultation with all the stakeholders will continue talks and take decision for peace.
He lauded the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army for fighting war on terror and maintaining peace across the country.

Geneva motor show set to make tracks out of crisis

PARIS: The Geneva Motor Show will kick off next week on an optimistic note as the long-suffering European car market appears to finally have swerved out of the slow lane.
Luxurious sports cars, high-end SUVs and city cars will be bumper-to-bumper at the show one of the auto industry's biggest and most diverse events as it cruises out from under the long shadow of industry crisis.
Carmakers and analysts alike say the worst of the difficulties are now in the rear-view mirror.
"The worst of the crisis is over, so the mood should be good," Juergen Pieper, a car industry analyst with German bank Metzler, told AFP.
New car registrations in the European Union slipped just 1.7 percent last year, to 11.8 million cars sold, after five years of far more brutal falls.
But sales are finally expected to pick up this year, according to German car industry analyst Stefan Bratzel.
By how much remains to be seen: the most cautious observers expect sales to remain flat while the most optimistic are gearing up for three-percent market growth.
"The markets fell really low, so obviously they will have to start picking up at some point," EY analyst Jean-Francois Belorgey said, adding that northern Europe was doing better than the south of the continent.
France remained a dark spot on the European map, seeing car sales in 2013 fall to their lowest level in 15 years with little prospect of growth this year, while Italy also touched rock-bottom, selling just 1.3 million cars.
"The economic fundamentals in France and Italy remain fragile," Belorgey acknowledged.
And despite the expected upturn this year, Europe's car industry remains plagued by overcapacity and profitability issues for mid-range carmakers, according to credit insurance and analysis group Euler Hermes, pointing to several recent factory closings, at PSA, Opel and Ford.
Range of new models:
German carmakers, who sell heavily in North America and Asia where sales especially at the high end are up, are meanwhile doing quite well.
Their international presence allows them to counter still sluggish sales in Europe and keep their factories running at full-tilt.
Volkswagen raked in a net profit of 9.1 billion euros ($12.6 billion) last year, while Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz and Smart among others, posted a record net profit of 8.7 billion euros.
And the German manufacturers are aiming for even better traction with a range of new products, including the Volkswagen's third generation Audi TT and a new BMW compact.
France's Renault and Italy's Fiat have seen far more modest profits, while PSA Peugeot Citroen suffered a 2.3-billion-euro loss last year, although it hopes a cash injection from the French state and China's Dongfeng will put it on the road to recovery.
Despite their continued hardship, French carmakers should play a more central role at this year's Geneva Motor Show, where smaller city cars are expected to get more attention than previously.
"They are presenting a number of important new products," Pieper said, listing for instance Renault's launch of a new Twingo, which will face off against the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108.
Such small, punchy city vehicles will as always have to battle for attention with exceptional, luxury cars at the 84th edition of the Geneva car show.
While the show will not feature last year's overwhelming display of extravagant machines priced over the million dollar mark, there will still be plenty to see for car enthusiasts.
Ferrari's new version of its California T sport car and Lamborghini's new Huracan, both priced at round 200,000 euros, will likely draw crowds.
But perhaps the most popular attraction at this year's show, set to open to the public from March 6-16, will be something in between: super trendy SUVs and crossovers.
Porsche, once known only as a sport car maker, will for instance speed into the mid-size SUV range with its new Macan, in the hope it will prove as popular as its big sister Cayenne, which accounts for more than half of the carmakers sales.
American carmaker Ford is meanwhile revving up to unveil a third installment of its hugely popular compact Focus the world's most sold model.