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RFE/RL Newsline, 08-04-01
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIA SAYS MOSCOW MIDEAST CONFERENCE WILL 'ENERGIZE' PEACE
PROCESS
[02] IS RUSSIA USING FRIENDSHIP TREATY WITH UKRAINE TO EXERT PRESSURE?
[03] COST OF PROPOSED GAS PIPELINE CONTINUES TO MOUNT
[04] PUTIN MAY BE APPROVED AS PRIME MINISTER ON MAY 8
[05] NEW RECRUITS WILL SERVE FOR ONE YEAR...
[06] ...BUT ONE-THIRD OF THOSE DRAFTED TOO UNHEALTHY FOR SERVICE
[07] OPPOSITION DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD ST. PETERSBURG CONFERENCE
[08] REGIONAL GOVERNORS TO SERVE TWO MASTERS?
[09] COUNCIL OF EUROPE PROPOSES MEASURES TO EASE ARMENIAN TENSIONS
[10] ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBASTES 'DIRTY GAME' BY AZERBAIJAN
[11] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT ASSESSES IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT'S 50-DAY
PLAN
[12] GEORGIAN OPPOSITION MULLS ELECTION TACTICS
[13] EU OFFICIAL DISCUSSES RELATIONS WITH KAZAKH LEADERS
[14] RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY CONDUCTS DRILL AT KAZAKH LAUNCH FACILITY
[15] TAJIK PRESIDENT MEETS WITH UN REFUGEE AGENCY HEAD
[16] TAJIK PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTY DENIED REGISTRATION
[17] TAJIKISTAN RECEIVES AID FROM U.S. FOR STRENGTHENING BORDER
SECURITY
[18] BELARUS WANTS U.S. TO FURTHER REDUCE EMBASSY STAFF
[19] U.S. PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO HELP UKRAINE JOIN NATO...
[20] ...AS UKRAINIAN LEFTISTS PROTEST
[21] SERBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER IDENTIFIES RIOT ORGANIZERS
[22] SERBIA WANTS TO ORGANIZE LOCAL VOTE IN KOSOVA
[23] EU WILL DEPLOY ITS MISSION THROUGHOUT KOSOVA
[24] AFGHAN TRIBES ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE OWN SECURITY UNDER NEW
INITIATIVE
[25] TWO BRITISH SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
[26] NEW UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN STARTS WORK
[27] 10,000 AFGHAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM PAKISTAN
[28] CIA CHIEF SUSPECTS IRAN HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM
[29] U.S. ASKS TO SEE SWISS GAS CONTRACT WITH IRAN
[30] IRANIAN NOBEL LAUREATE DOUBTS ELECTIONS WERE FAIR
[31] IRAQI GOVERNMENT SAYS OPERATION IN SOUTH TO END SOON
[32] CURFEW IN IRAQI CAPITAL PARTIALLY LIFTED
[33] MORE ATTACKS ON GREEN ZONE IN IRAQI CAPITAL
[34] BRITAIN SENDS 50 IRAQI REFUGEES BACK TO IRAQ
[35] IRAQ GOVERNMENT SIGNS $5.5 BILLION DEAL WITH BOEING
[36] U.S. FORCES RELEASE SUNNI TRIBAL LEADER
[37] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Volume 12 Number 61
Russia
[01] RUSSIA SAYS MOSCOW MIDEAST CONFERENCE WILL 'ENERGIZE' PEACE
PROCESS
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said on March 31 in his
last statement as rotating chairman of the Security Council that a
Middle East conference in Moscow this summer would "energize" efforts
to achieve a peace settlement by the end of the year between Israel and
the Palestinians, news agencies reported. President Vladimir Putin said
recently that Russian officials are consulting with the United States
and Middle Eastern countries about holding a conference on the Middle
East in Moscow at an unspecified date (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January
17 and March 20 and 26, 2008). Also on March 31 at the UN, the
Palestinian observer at that body, Riyad Mansour, said that a Moscow
meeting is "extremely necessary and urgent" for reviving the peace
process. He noted that recent discussion has focused on scheduling the
conference for June. Israeli UN Ambassador Dan Gillerman made no
mention of the proposed Moscow gathering in his public remarks. Israel
is reportedly unenthusiastic about the proposal, which it sees as an
attempt to divert attention from the Israeli-Palestinian dispute by
bringing in issues involving Syria and Lebanon as well. Churkin also
said on March 31 that Iran should drop its opposition to working with
the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany to
ensure that its nuclear program is peaceful. He noted that Iran's
recent "statements of a negative nature towards the negotiations are
certainly not helpful and not constructive." He expressed the hope that
Tehran will modify its position. In Moscow, Russian news agencies
reported on March 31 that Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas
will visit Moscow on April 18 to discuss preparations for the proposed
conference. PM
[02] IS RUSSIA USING FRIENDSHIP TREATY WITH UKRAINE TO EXERT PRESSURE?
In the run-up to the April 2-4 Bucharest NATO summit, at which
Ukraine's future relationship with the alliance is expected to be one
of many subjects under discussion, newsru.com reported on April 1 that
State Duma deputies are preparing four policy options for the Kremlin
on the future of Russia's agreement on friendship, cooperation, and
partnership with Ukraine, which expires on April 1, 2009. One of the
options is for Russia to withdraw from the pact in the event that
Ukraine accepts a NATO Membership Action Plan, which is the final stage
on the road to full membership (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 31, 2008).
In a lengthy article in "Izvestia" on April, 1 Moscow Mayor Yury
Luzhkov also raised the possibility of Russia's withdrawal from the
treaty and of reopening territorial questions in southern Ukraine. PM
[03] COST OF PROPOSED GAS PIPELINE CONTINUES TO MOUNT
Gazprom announced on March 31 that the projected cost of the
controversial Nord Stream pipeline has risen to 7.4 billion euros
($11.5 billion), which is nearly double the 2005 estimate of 4 billion
euros, Interfax reported. Since 2005, the projected cost has
periodically been revised upward. Construction has not yet begun on the
pipeline, which will transport Russian gas to Germany via the floor of
the Baltic Sea. Poland, Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic states all
object to the project on political or environmental grounds or both.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently called it the most expensive
pipeline in history (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 7, 2008, and End
Note, "RFE/RL Newsline," March 17, 2008). PM
[04] PUTIN MAY BE APPROVED AS PRIME MINISTER ON MAY 8
State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said on April 1 that the State Duma
may examine and approve the candidacy of the next prime minister
immediately after it is submitted to the lower parliamentary house,
Prime-TASS reported. Gryzlov, who is also leader of the Unified Russia
party, which holds an absolute majority in Duma, said it is no secret
that Dmitry Medvedev's inauguration as president is set to take place
on May 7 and that Medvedev will nominate Vladimir Putin as prime
minister. Unified Russia will support that candidacy, Gryzlov said,
adding that if it is submitted to the Duma for approval on the day of
Medvedev's inauguration, then the Duma can take it up the following
day, May 8. Prime-TASS noted that this will require a special session
of the State Duma because its members will be visiting their respective
districts that week. "Vedomosti" on April 1 quoted an unnamed source in
Unified Russia as saying that the idea of confirming Medvedev's
candidate for prime minister on May 8 emanated from the presidential
administration, which is seeking a quick confirmation because a
"suitcase mentality" has taken over within the government in
expectation of the impending change of administrations and no one wants
to work. Under Russia's constitution, a newly elected president must
submit his candidate for prime minister to the Duma within two weeks of
being inaugurated and the Duma has a week to consider the nomination.
JB
[05] NEW RECRUITS WILL SERVE FOR ONE YEAR...
The Russian military spring call-up campaign begins on April 1, and
this year conscripts will face just one year of compulsory service. The
term of compulsory service, which had been two years going back to the
Soviet period, was reduced to 18 months last year as a transitional
step. Colonel General Vasily Smirnov, who is deputy chief of the
General Staff and the official responsible for military mobilization,
said last week that the one-year term will make military service more
attractive, "The Moscow Times" reported on April 1. "We hope this term
will encourage citizens to be more conscientious about going to
recruitment stations and preparing for service," Interfax quoted
Smirnov as saying. According to "The Moscow Times," officials say the
reduced term of service will help fix the problem of dedovshchina, the
hazing of new recruits by older soldiers. However, the paper quoted
Valentina Melnikova, head of the Union of Soldiers' Mothers Committees,
as saying that the one-year term will do nothing to improve safety. "It
is not always soldiers who beat each other," Melnikova said. "Half the
time it is officers and sergeants." According to "The Moscow Times,"
others have warned that this spring's recruits may face an additional
risk of hazing from resentful older soldiers who were drafted before
the change took effect. Meanwhile, deferments from military service
will no longer be given to fathers of children younger than 3, to
husbands of women in the last trimester of pregnancy or to sons of
pensioners and disabled people, unless they can submit proof that their
parents need constant care. Melnikova called the cancellation of these
deferments "simply criminal." Doctors and teachers working in rural
areas, men employed in the defense industry, and students at vocational
schools above the age of 20 can also be called up for duty now, "The
Moscow Times" reported. JB
[06] ...BUT ONE-THIRD OF THOSE DRAFTED TOO UNHEALTHY FOR SERVICE
Colonel General Smirnov, the deputy chief of the General Staff who is
responsible for military mobilization, said on March 31 that the
Defense Ministry is unhappy about the physical condition of Russia's
conscripts, with one-third of all draftees disqualified from military
service because of poor health. "We are sending 8-10 percent of the
young people from among those called up for additional medical
check-ups," newsru.com quoted Smirnov as saying. "More than 50 percent
of those already called up have limitations due to their state of
health, so we cannot send them to the military units of the VDV
[airborne troops] or VMF [navy]." According to newsru.com, Smirnov said
that in addition to the period of compulsory service being reduced to
one year, the period of alternative service has been reduced to 21
months (from 31.5 months), and to 18 months for those with higher
education who choose to serve in "Defense Ministry structures." JB
[07] OPPOSITION DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD ST. PETERSBURG CONFERENCE
A conference aimed at uniting Russia's fractured democrats will be held
on in St. Petersburg on April 5, "Kommersant" reported on April 1. The
daily quoted conference organizers as saying that the location of the
conference is being kept secret in order to prevent the authorities
from disrupting it. "Hopefully it will still take place," the daily
quoted the head of the St. Petersburg chapter of the opposition United
Civic Front, Olga Kurnosova, as saying. "We are now taking security
measures, because the authorities do not always react appropriately to
opposition activities." According to "Kommersant," 100-150 people are
expected to participate in the conference, including United Civil Front
leader Garry Kasparov, Soviet-era dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, Union of
Rightist Forces (SPS) leader Nikita Belykh, former SPS member Boris
Nemtsov, and the veteran human rights campaigners Lyov Ponomaryov and
Sergei Kovalyov. Former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who heads the
opposition Popular Democratic Union, decided not to attend but will
send his close associate Konstantin Merzlikin. Vladimir Ryzhkov, the
former independent State Duma deputy and leader of the unregistered
Republican Party, will also not attend, "Kommersant" reported.
Meanwhile, newsru.com reported on March 31 that Daniil Kotsyubinsky, a
member of the board of the St. Petersburg chapter of Yabloko, announced
that he is quitting the party after Yabloko press secretary Yevgeniya
Dillendorf threatened to expel the head of the party's St. Petersburg
chapter, Maksim Reznik, from Yabloko if he participates in the April 5
conference. Reznik was arrested earlier this month on charges of
insulting and assaulting a police officer that Reznik and his allies
say were trumped up and politically motivated (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 12, 19, and 26, 2008). JB
[08] REGIONAL GOVERNORS TO SERVE TWO MASTERS?
President Putin signed into law on March 29 amendments to the existing
legislation on the role and duties of heads of federation subjects that
go someway toward reversing the restrictions on their powers introduced
over the past eight years and endow them with a greater degree of both
freedom and responsibility in economic issues, the daily "Kommersant"
reported on April 1. Experts quoted by the paper predicted that the new
asymmetric system will enable the federal center to adopt an
individualized approach to different regions, taking into account huge
discrepancies in the level of economic development. It may also,
according to Aleksandr Kynev of the Fund for the Development of
Information Policy, obviate the need to embark of the creation of
mega-regions consisting of several federation subjects. At the same
time, in light of their increased responsibility for economic issues,
governors' performance will be monitored more stringently: Putin
introduced last year a list of 43 criteria for doing so (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," July 2, 2007). Moreover, governors will in future report not
only to the president but also to the prime minister and, according to
Institute for Social Systems Deputy Director Dmitry Badovsky, the
government may in future even take over from the presidential envoys
responsibility for proposing candidates to head federation subjects. LF
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[09] COUNCIL OF EUROPE PROPOSES MEASURES TO EASE ARMENIAN TENSIONS
A delegation from the Council of Europe's so-called Ago Group that
monitors the compliance of CE member states with their formal
commitments met in Yerevan on March 30 with former President and
defeated presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian and on March 31
with senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian, Justice Minister Gevorg Danielian, and Prosecutor-General
Aghvan Hovsepian, Noyan Tapan and RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported.
Delegation head Ambassador Per Sjogren told journalists on March 31
that his group has put forward six proposals for resolving the
post-presidential standoff between the authorities and Ter-Petrossian
supporters. They include beginning a dialogue without preconditions
between Ter-Petrossian and the authorities; the release of the
estimated 102 people taken into custody for their suspected
participation in the March 1-2 clashes between police and
Ter-Petrossian supporters in Yerevan; and an independent inquiry in
which international experts would participate into those clashes.
Sjogren expressed regret at the amendments enacted by the Armenian
parliament restricting the right to public rallies and demonstrations
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 18, 2008). He said the freedom of
assembly is a right enshrined in the European Convention and thus not
subject to bargaining. Oskanian implicitly endorsed the Ago Group's
proposals, telling journalists that they are "aimed at improving the
situation," but Danielian defended the restrictions on public meetings
and ruled out the release of the detained opposition supporters,
stressing that none of them was arrested for his or her political
views. LF
[10] ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBASTES 'DIRTY GAME' BY AZERBAIJAN
Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanian on March 31 accused the Azerbaijani
authorities of playing "a dirty game" aimed at discrediting the OSCE's
Minsk Group that since 1992 has sought to mediate a solution to the
Karabakh conflict, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Oskanian
suggested that Baku's objective is to create a rationale for rejecting
the draft peace proposal under discussion for the past two years.
Oskanian further expressed regret that Baku has rejected the Minsk
Group co-chairs' proposal that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and
Armenian President-elect Serzh Sarkisian should meet in Bucharest on
the sidelines of the April 2-4 NATO summit. He stressed that the
Karabakh conflict can be resolved solely by means of peaceful
negotiations and that any solution must guarantee the right to
self-determination of the population of the unrecognized republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh, arminfo.am reported. At a round table discussion in
Baku on March 31, the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party and several other
smaller, mainly pro-government parties adopted a resolution criticizing
the three countries -- France, Russia, and the United States -- that
co-chair the Minsk Group for voting against a resolution submitted by
Azerbaijan last month to the UN General Assembly "On the Situation In
The Occupied Territories Of Azerbaijan," and calling on the co-chairs
to act in accordance with international law, rather than defend
Armenian "aggression," day.az reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 17
and 25, 2008). On April 1, the online daily echo-az.com quoted U.S.
Minsk Group co-chairman Matthew Bryza as saying that Washington
believes it is time for Armenia and Azerbaijan to "move forward" and
finalize the "Basic Principles" for resolving the conflict (see "RFE/RL
Caucasus Report," June 22, 2007). LF
[11] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT ASSESSES IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT'S 50-DAY
PLAN
Mikheil Saakashvili reviewed on March 31 the government's progress in
implementing the 50-day plan to alleviate poverty it adopted in late
February, civil.ge reported. That plan focused primarily on increasing
pensions, allocating low-interest credits to small businesses to create
new jobs and thus cut the unemployment rate, and providing material
assistance to farmers. Saakashvili noted that the minimum monthly
pension will rise from April 1 from 55 laris to 70 laris ($37.6 to
$47.9), and that it will reach $100 by 2009; in February he pledged
that the monthly pension would be increased on March 1, according to
the "Messenger" on February 27. LF
[12] GEORGIAN OPPOSITION MULLS ELECTION TACTICS
Opposition Republican party leader David Usupashvili said on March 31
his party will nominate candidates to contest the 75 majoritarian seats
in the May 21 parliamentary election only after consulting with the
eight-party opposition National Council, in order to avoid splitting
the opposition vote, civil.ge reported. He listed five potential
candidates to run in Tbilisi, including parliamentarians Ivliane
Khaindrava, Levan Berdzenishvili, and David Zurabishvili. Also on March
31, Koba Davitashvili, who heads the People's Party, which is a
National Council member, implied that the New Rightists will run on a
joint ticket with the National Council. Meanwhile, President
Saakashvili assured international diplomats on March 31 that he
guarantees that the May 21 ballot will be free and fair, civil.ge
reported. LF
[13] EU OFFICIAL DISCUSSES RELATIONS WITH KAZAKH LEADERS
On an official visit to Kazakhstan, Pierre Morel, the European Union's
special representative for Central Asia, met on March 31 with Kazakh
State Secretary Kanat Saudabaev to review plans for the "further
strengthening and expanding [of] Kazakh-European relations,"
Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. Morel reviewed the status of the
country's political reforms, with a focus on democratization and the
rule of law, and discussed issues related to the trade, investment, and
energy sectors, as well as education reform. After hailing the EU as
his country's "natural strategic partner," Saudabaev presented an
overview of Kazakhstan's efforts to bolster border security and combat
drug trafficking. Morel also met separately with parliament speaker
Aslan Musin and discussed plans for "developing interparliamentary
relations," but warned Musin of the need to strengthen Kazakh political
parties given the one-party nature of the Mazhilis. The visit by Morel,
who was last in Kazakhstan in November 2007 (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
November 20, 2007), is timed to coincide with a review of the 2007
"action plan" agreement laying out the parameters of the "new
partnership" between the EU and Kazakhstan. The EU places a special
priority on its relations with Kazakhstan beyond the country's role as
an energy producer and regional actor, based on Kazakhstan's upcoming
chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) in 2010. RG
[14] RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY CONDUCTS DRILL AT KAZAKH LAUNCH FACILITY
Officials from Russia's Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) conducted on
March 31 a series of drills and exercises at the Russian-leased,
Soviet-era Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Interfax-Kazakhstan
reported. The operation was part of a bilateral Russian-U.S. treaty on
restricting strategic armaments, and also involved observers from the
Kazakh and Russian Defense Ministries. The exercise was the first since
Roskosmos assumed supervision of foreign inspections and visits of the
facility in January 2008. The bilateral treaty also provides for
on-site inspection of the facility. Russia has leased the Baikonur
facility, one of the world's leading space facilities, since 1994.
Baikonur is regularly used to launch commercial and military
satellites, as well as supply missions for the International Space
Station. RG
[15] TAJIK PRESIDENT MEETS WITH UN REFUGEE AGENCY HEAD
President Emomali Rahmon met on March 31 in Dushanbe with United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Manuel de
Oliveira Guterres to discuss the implementation of a project aimed at
integrating Afghan refugees in Tajik society, the Avesta website
reported. On the first day of a three-day official visit, Guterres
briefed Rahmon on essential elements of the program, including
strengthening Tajikistan's asylum system and fulfilling Tajik
commitments for granting asylum and protecting refugees in accordance
with international treaties and conventions. Although the UNHCR
representation in Tajikistan was first established in early 1993, the
agency has been increasingly active in recent years in managing the
needs of a significant population of Afghan refugees there. RG
[16] TAJIK PRO-GOVERNMENT PARTY DENIED REGISTRATION
Tajik Justice Ministry official Davlat Sulaimonov announced on March 31
that an application by the pro-government Vahdat (Union) party for
formal registration has been denied by the ministry, Asia-Plus
reported. This is the sixth time the party has been denied registration
for failing to meet certain unspecified legal requirements. Sulaimonov
explained that the party could apply yet again if it resolves
undetermined "shortcomings" in its previous applications. Led by
Hikmatullo Saidov, who claimed to have some 3,000 supporters and an
organizational presence in nearly all of the country's regions, the
Vahdat party would have been the ninth political party in Tajikistan.
The other parties are the ruling People's Democratic Party, the
Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Islamic Revival
Party, the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the Agrarian Party,
and the Party of Economic Reforms. RG
[17] TAJIKISTAN RECEIVES AID FROM U.S. FOR STRENGTHENING BORDER
SECURITY
In a special ceremony in Dushanbe presided over by U.S. Ambassador to
Tajikistan Tracey Ann Jacobsen, the head of the Tajik Customs Service,
General Gurez Zaripov, formally signed on March 31 an agreement to
receive nearly $230,000 in U.S. aid to bolster border security,
according to Asia-Plus. The aid, provided within the framework of the
U.S. Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS)
Program, includes modern mobile x-ray detection equipment designed to
conduct sensitive inspections of luggage, cargo containers, and other
goods entering the country. The equipment is also capable of detecting
radioactive and radiological sources. The United States has been
engaged in supporting the Tajik authorities in enhancing border
security and counterproliferation capabilities since late 2001. RG
Eastern Europe
[18] BELARUS WANTS U.S. TO FURTHER REDUCE EMBASSY STAFF
Minsk has decided to reduce the number of diplomats at its embassy in
Washington, and recommends that the United States do the same in
Belarus, RFE/RL's Belarus Service and Belapan reported on March 31,
quoting the Belarusian Foreign Ministry. A note informing the U.S.
government about Minsk's move was handed to Jonathan Moore, the deputy
chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, earlier the same day.
The note reportedly explains that the decision was made because the
U.S. government has "repeatedly refused to abolish additional
restrictive measures of an economic nature" against Belarus's state
petrochemical conglomerate Belnaftakhim, and because of the "U.S.
administration's consistent policy aimed at scaling down contacts with
the Belarusian side." "We consider these demands unwarranted and
unjustified, and we are considering our response," U.S. State
Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told Reuters on March 31.
Washington reduced its embassy's staff by half to 17 people last week
at the request of the Belarusian authorities (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 28, 2008). Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Minsk has resumed
issuing visas to Belarusian citizens "in limited quantities," Belapan
reported. On March 19, the U.S. mission announced the suspension of its
visa services because of the Belarusian government's urgent request for
staff cuts. JM
[19] U.S. PRESIDENT PLEDGES TO HELP UKRAINE JOIN NATO...
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said at a joint conference with
his U.S. counterpart, George W. Bush, in Kyiv on April 1 that Ukraine
has the "full support" of the United States for Kyiv to begin the
process of joining NATO, Ukrainian and international media reported.
For his part, Bush reiterated his position that Washington supports
offering NATO Membership Action Plans (MAPs) to both Ukraine and
Georgia, adding that Russia, which objects to further NATO expansion,
will have no influence over the process. Bush also stressed that there
is no link between the Ukrainian and Georgian bids to begin the process
of joining NATO and plans to deploy a U.S. missile-defense system in
Europe. "That is a misperception. I strongly believe that Ukraine and
Georgia should be given MAPs, and there's no tradeoffs. Period," Bush
said. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said earlier the
same day in Paris that France will not support Ukraine's and Georgia's
bids to become NATO members. JM
[20] ...AS UKRAINIAN LEFTISTS PROTEST
Members of the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, and the
Progressive Socialist Party pitched tents on Kyiv's Independence Square
on March 31 to protest U.S. President Bush's visit to Ukraine, RFE/RL's
Ukrainian Service reported. The protest is reportedly to continue until
the conclusion of the NATO summit in Bucharest on April 4.
Demonstrators played Soviet-era music, carried red flags, and chanted
anti-United States and anti-NATO slogans. JM
Southeastern Europe
[21] SERBIAN DEFENSE MINISTER IDENTIFIES RIOT ORGANIZERS
Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said in an interview published by the
Belgrade daily "Blic" on March 31 that the recent riots in Belgrade and
Mitrovica were "coordinated and led...in an agreement between Slobodan
Samardzic [who is minister for Kosova] and the prime minister," namely
Vojislav Kostunica, without the knowledge of the rest of the
government. Samardzic and Kostunica belong to the Democratic Party of
Serbia (DSS), whereas Sutanovac is a member of President Boris Tadic's
Democratic Party. "Blic" on April 1 quoted an aide to Kostunica as
saying that Sutanovac's comments constitute the first attack in Serbian
history by a defense minister on his own government in the interests of
foreign military powers, namely NATO. The February riots in Belgrade
left one protester dead, and Serbian attackers killed one Ukrainian
policeman in Mitrovica in March. NATO and UN said at the time that the
Mitrovica riots were orchestrated (see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 22,
25, and 26, and March 19, 2008). On April 1, the U.S. Embassy in
Belgrade reopened its consulate, which was closed after being set on
fire during the February riots, news agencies reported. The State
Department also authorized the return of all staff and family members
who were evacuated to Croatia following the riots. PM
[22] SERBIA WANTS TO ORGANIZE LOCAL VOTE IN KOSOVA
In the latest of several attempts to try to establish its authority in
Kosova, the Serbian government announced on March 31 that it will
organize not only the May 11 Serbian parliamentary vote but also local
elections on that date in Serbian-populated parts of Kosova, news
agencies reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 4, 10, 13, and 17,
2008). Minister Samardzic, who is responsible for Kosova, said in the
ethnic-Serbian community of Laplje Selo that "Serbia will find a way to
take over responsibilities that after the declaration of independence
were left hanging. Serbs don't want to work for an Albanian false
state, but for Serbia." Under the UN plan for Kosova, which will form
the basis for the country's constitution, local Serbs are entitled to
vote in Serbian parliamentary elections. The authorities in Prishtina
stress, however, that local elections are a matter for Kosova itself.
President Fatmir Sejdiu said in Prishtina on March 31 that "we want
dual citizenship to be applied in the best possible way, but Kosova
cannot be an electoral region" for any outside government. The UN
civilian administration has not said whether it will allow the May vote
to take place, but has not prevented local Serbs from voting in
previous Serbian legislative elections. PM
[23] EU WILL DEPLOY ITS MISSION THROUGHOUT KOSOVA
Former French General Yves de Kermabon, who heads the EU's new
rule-of-law mission in Kosova (EULEX), told journalists on March 31 in
Prishtina that EULEX will be present in all parts of Kosova, regardless
of the ethnic composition of the population, news agencies reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 21 and 29, and March 28, 2008). He
stressed that "we have [the Kosova Police Service, KPS], and the KPS is
a multiethnic police, and I'm happy to know that we have a lot of
Serbian KPS officers still working in the KPS. This is the main aim and
target for me to work with this multiethnic police. For the time being,
I can insist on the fact that the intention of EULEX is to deploy
Kosovo-wide." He added, however, that the deployment "will take time."
In Madrid, the Spanish Foreign Ministry announced on March 31 that it
will not dispatch police to serve with EULEX until the legal aspects of
the transfer of authority from the current UN civilian administration
in Kosova (UNMIK) to EULEX are clarified, Reuters reported. The police
contingent from Spain, which does not recognize Kosova, is expected to
number fewer than 20. The news agency noted that "EU diplomats say they
expect the two missions to exist in parallel for some time, although
some hope it may be possible to find a pragmatic way of handing over
responsibility [now that] Moscow no longer chairs the [UN] Security
Council." PM
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[24] AFGHAN TRIBES ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE OWN SECURITY UNDER NEW
INITIATIVE
A new security initiative launched by Afghan, U.S., and British
officials seeks to give Afghans the power to guard their own
communities against insurgents, "The Washington Post" reported on March
31. Under the multimillion-dollar program, which was approved by
President Hamid Karzai, village and tribal elders will receive radios,
phones, and cash, in exchange for their cooperation with government
forces and commitment to deny refuge to militants. The program would
also endorse reconciliation and the integration of former Taliban into
civilian life. "Taliban commanders and their fighters have come over to
us and say they want to work with the government...so this is already
happening," "The Washington Post" quoted a senior Western official as
saying. The plan, called the Afghan Social Outreach Program, is part of
a broader governance effort lead by Jelani Popal, head of the
Independent Directorate of Local Governance, which reports to Karzai.
Popal cited corruption, warlordism, and the drug trade as among the
problems the program seeks to combat. The newspaper quoted British
Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles as saying, "We've got to do it the
Afghan way...by empowering communities." AT
[25] TWO BRITISH SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
Two British soldiers were killed when an explosion struck their convoy
on March 30 in Helmand Province, in southern Afghanistan, AP reported
on March 31. Britain's Ministry of Defense said the two members of the
Royal Marines were on a patrol near Kajaki when the blast occurred. In
a separate incident on March 31, a Danish soldier was killed and two
others were injured in fighting with Taliban militants near the town of
Girishk in Helmand Province, the Danish military said. The fighting
involved tanks, heavy artillery, and helicopter gunships. In
neighboring Kandahar Province, three Afghan private security guards
were killed in a roadside bombing in Zhabi district on March 31,
according to district chief Niyaz Mohammad Sarhadi. AT
[26] NEW UN ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN STARTS WORK
The UN's newly appointed special envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, has
arrived in Kabul to take up his new post, the BBC reported on March 28.
Eide was selected as special envoy after the appointment of British
politician Paddy Ashdown, who was expected to take the post, was
blocked by President Karzai in January. "I am not Paddy Ashdown, but
don't underestimate me," Eide told the BBC. Upon his arrival at Kabul
International Airport, Eide spoke about bringing a new direction to the
international efforts in Afghanistan, including providing more funds
for projects backed by the government. "One of the issues that has been
highlighted is the need for better coordination" with the government in
Kabul, Eide said. "The Afghan government has asked for that for a very
long time and we have to respond in a better way than we have managed
so far." AT
[27] 10,000 AFGHAN REFUGEES RETURN HOME FROM PAKISTAN
Approximately 10,000 Afghan refugees have returned home over the past
month with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, its representative Salvatore Lombardo said on March 31.
"About 10,000 refugees repatriated from Pakistan under the UN refugee
agency's first month of assisted voluntary repatriation," news agencies
quoted Lombardo as saying. The repatriation process will continue until
the beginning of winter weather, in late October. More than 3.5 million
Afghan refugees have returned home since the collapse of Taliban regime
in late 2001, but some 2.5 million are still living in Pakistan and
more than 1.5 million in Iran. Many refugees cite security concerns and
unemployment as dissuading them from returning. AT
[28] CIA CHIEF SUSPECTS IRAN HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Michael Hayden told NBC
television in Washington on March 30 that he believes personally that
Iran is pursuing a bid to develop nuclear weapons, in spite of the
conclusion of several U.S. intelligence agencies late in 2007 that
Tehran halted its suspected weapons program in 2003, AFP reported. He
described his view as a "personal belief...this is not court-of law
stuff." Hayden said Iran's defiance of UN Security Council resolutions
demanding it halt nuclear fuel-making activities shows it has something
to hide. He said Iran would not suffer sanctions "if they did not have
at a minimum...the desire to keep the option open to develop a nuclear
weapon" and produce "fissile material not under international
supervision." Hayden said Iran has denied it has ever sought to make
bombs, while U.S. intelligence agencies believe it had a weapons
program before 2003, and that it is still continuing to work on "the
development of delivery systems," or ballistic missiles, AFP reported.
On March 25, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney told ABC television that
Iran "obviously" has a nuclear weapons program (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 26, 2008). Iran insists it has a purely civilian and entirely
lawful nuclear program. VS
[29] U.S. ASKS TO SEE SWISS GAS CONTRACT WITH IRAN
The United States has asked Switzerland to show it a copy of a
gas-exportation contract it recently signed with Iran, to see if it
violates a U.S. sanctions law against Tehran, news agencies reported on
March 31, citing the U.S. Embassy in Bern. A posting on the embassy's
website raises the question of whether this could jeopardize
Switzerland's role representing U.S. interests in Cuba and Iran, with
which the United States has no formal diplomatic ties. The United
States has expressed its dismay at the deal, signed in Tehran on March
17, and said it violates the spirit of UN Security Council sanctions
intended to force Iran to stop producing nuclear fuel. Switzerland has
defended the deal as a move to assure diverse energy supplies (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," March 18, 2008). VS
[30] IRANIAN NOBEL LAUREATE DOUBTS ELECTIONS WERE FAIR
Iranian lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi told Radio
Farda on March 31 that she doubts the March 14 parliamentary elections
-- which assured a conservative majority in Iran's next parliament --
were free or fair. She was speaking for the Tehran-based Committee to
Defend Free, Clean, and Fair Elections. Reformists have asked for
recounts in some constituencies, while many withdrew from the race in
protest at the authorities' strict vetting and disqualification of
thousands of hopefuls deemed insufficiently loyal to the state or unfit
for public service. Ebadi told Radio Farda the elections' conditions
and procedures did not square with Iran's international commitments in
line with its membership of the Interparliamentary Union. She pointed
to flaws such as the absence of a "full observation" of the voting
process and complaints about the handling of ballot boxes after voting.
She said a random recount of some ballot boxes in Tehran, as demanded
by reformist leaders, would be "enough to prove that voting was
healthy" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 20, 2008). VS
[31] IRAQI GOVERNMENT SAYS OPERATION IN SOUTH TO END SOON
The Iraqi government announced on March 31 that the weeklong military
operation in the southern city of Al-Basrah may end later this week,
CNN reported. Major General Abd al-Aziz Muhammad, commander of
operations at the Defense Ministry, said at a news conference that he
hopes the mission will be brief and limited. However, he provided no
specific timetable. The announcement came as radical Shi'ite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr announced on March 30 that he has called on his
militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, to stand down and not confront Iraqi
security forces (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 31, 2008). In an
interview with state-run Al-Iraqiyah television, Interior Minister
Jawad al-Bulani said the criminals and gangs in Al-Basrah are fleeing
the city. "The armed, outlaw gangs have started to collapse. Some
groups fled the battle scene and left these areas," al-Bulani said.
Major General Muhammad Jawan al-Huwaydi, commander of the Iraqi Army's
14th Division, told Reuters that the situation in Al-Basrah is slowly
stabilizing. "We have control of the towns around Al-Basrah and also
inside the city. There are no clashes anywhere in Al-Basrah. Now we are
dismantling roadside bombs," he said. Meanwhile, an Iraqi Interior
Ministry source told Kuwait's KUNA news agency the same day that the
clashes in the southern city left 210 people dead and 600 wounded, and
155 were arrested. SS
[32] CURFEW IN IRAQI CAPITAL PARTIALLY LIFTED
The Iraqi government announced on March 31 that the three-day curfew
imposed on Baghdad has been partially lifted, state-run Al-Iraqiyah
television reported. The curfew remains in force in the Sadrist
strongholds of Al-Sadr City, Al-Shu'lah, and Al-Kadhimiyah. At a press
conference, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the decision
to keep the curfew in place in those neighborhoods is meant to protect
civilians. "Terrorist groups are trying to exploit the current
situation, and target the residential compounds there," he said. "There
is intelligence information that confirms terrorist groups are
attempting to target the high-population residential compounds in
Al-Sadr City.... Keeping a curfew on the movement of vehicles through
Al-Sadr City and other Baghdad neighborhoods is a precautionary measure
taken by security forces to protect people," he added. SS
[33] MORE ATTACKS ON GREEN ZONE IN IRAQI CAPITAL
Several rockets and mortars struck Baghdad's Green Zone again on March
31, international media reported. U.S. Embassy officials acknowledged
the attack, but said no serious injuries were reported. The U.S.
military said there were no reports of major damage. In the last week,
the heavily fortified area has been repeatedly attacked, killing two
Americans and wounding at least 14. The rise in attacks prompted the
State Department to issue a memo urging all personnel at the U.S.
Embassy compound not to leave reinforced structures due to incoming
rocket fire (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 28, 2008). U.S. military
officials have blamed the attacks on Iranian-backed "special groups,"
which are breakaway factions of Muqtada al-Sadr's Imam Al-Mahdi Army
that have refused to abide by a cease-fire declared by al-Sadr in
August 2007. SS
[34] BRITAIN SENDS 50 IRAQI REFUGEES BACK TO IRAQ
Britain has forcibly returned 50 Iraqi refugees back to the northern
city of Irbil, alarming human rights groups, "The Guardian" reported on
March 30. The newspaper said that the refugees were deported to Iraq on
March 27 from the Campsfield and Colnbrook detention centers in
handcuffs, after their attempts to gain asylum were denied. Some of the
asylum seekers were from Kirkuk and Mosul, and several rights groups
have warned that sending them back to those cities would be dangerous.
There have been reports that violence in Kirkuk and Mosul has been
steadily rising, and the groups contend that sending refugees back
there would endanger their lives. "Iraq cannot be considered a safe
place," said Dr. Frank Arnold, a senior clinical medical adviser with
the Medical Justice Network. "We demand that the government adequately
monitors what happens to those returned. But they have constantly
failed to do this." SS
[35] IRAQ GOVERNMENT SIGNS $5.5 BILLION DEAL WITH BOEING
The Iraqi government announced on March 31 that it has signed a $5.5
billion deal with the U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing to buy 40 new
aircraft, with the option to purchase 15 more, AFP reported. Government
spokesman al-Dabbagh added that the government also signed a $400
million contract with Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier to
purchase 10 planes. He said the deals "will strengthen the Iraqi
civil-aviation capacity and enable it to respond to the increasing
demand for air transportation to and from Iraq." The deal will
dramatically improve the Iraqi Airways fleet, which currently owns just
two aircraft and leases several others. Iraq's national carrier resumed
international flights in September 2004 with a Baghdad-Amman service.
It now also flies to Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, and Dubai. Delivery of
the aircraft will begin this year, with the final delivery expected at
the end of 2019. SS
[36] U.S. FORCES RELEASE SUNNI TRIBAL LEADER
Sheikh Rashid al-Zaydan, leader of the Ninawah-based National Front of
Iraqi Tribes, has been released by U.S. forces after being detained for
13 days, "Aswat al-Iraq" reported on March 31. On March 18, U.S. forces
arrested al-Zaydan during a raid near Mosul (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 19, 2008). The National Front of Iraqi Tribes, established in
March 2004, is a coalition of tribal leaders, academics, and former
military leaders. Several members of the movement have been arrested
for alleged links to terrorists. Al-Zaydan said U.S. forces accused him
of financing and arming Al-Qaeda in Iraq. SS
End Note
[37] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
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