Iranian leader: US military is Iraq’s top problem

Iran’s supreme leader told the visiting Iraqi prime minister Monday that the U.S. military presence is the main cause of Iraq’s problems, according to Iranian state television, making clear his opposition to a U.S.-Iraqi security pact.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s talks with Iranian leaders during his three-day visit here have focused on the proposed security agreement that Iran fears will keep the American military in neighboring Iraq for years.

Al-Maliki has tried to push Iranian leaders to back off their fierce opposition to the proposed pact, promising that Iraq will not be a launching pad for any attack on Iran.

But the agreement has become a point of contention as Baghdad tries to balance its close ties to rivals Washington and Tehran.

Iran, which has repeatedly said the way to end instability in Iraq is for U.S. forces to withdraw, believes the proposed pact could lead to permanent U.S bases on its doorstep amid fears of an eventual American attack.

“Occupiers who interfere in Iraq’s affairs through their military and security might … are the main problems,” Iran’s state television quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying Monday.

Khamenei said Iraqis have to “think of a solution to free” themselves from the U.S. military. Though he did not explicitly mention the security agreement, he said Iraqis — not Americans — must decide the fate of their country.

“That a foreign element gradually interferes in all Iraqi affairs and expands its domination on all aspects of life is the main obstacle in the way of progress and prosperity of the Iraqi nation,” the TV quoted Khamenei as saying.

Khamenei, who has the final say in Iran over government decisions, said the U.S. will fail to achieve its goals in Iraq.

“We are certain that the Iraqi people, through unity and effort, will get past these difficult conditions. For sure, America’s dream for Iraq will not come true,” Khamenei was quoted as telling al-Maliki.

Al-Maliki’s visit to Tehran, his second this year, appeared aimed at getting Iran to tone down its opposition and ease criticism within Iraq. Followers of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr — who has close ties to Tehran — have held weekly protests in Iraq against the deal.

The proposed security pact also faces strong criticism from members of al-Maliki’s own Shiite-dominated coalition.

Two Iraqi officials familiar with the negotiations warned on Sunday that a deal is unlikely to be reached before the end of President Bush’s term in January unless Washington backs off some demands seen as giving American forces too much freedom to operate in Iraq and infringing on Iraqi sovereignty. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy surrounding the negotiations.

Though both Iraq and Iran are Shiite-majority countries, the two were hostile to each other throughout Saddam Hussein’s regime. Their eight-year war after Saddam invaded Iran in 1980 cost about 1 million lives.

But when Saddam’s Sunni-dominated regime fell and Iraq’s Shiite majority took power after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, long-standing ties between the Shiites of both countries improved, though the two neighbors have yet to sign a peace treaty.

Source: Associated Press

Lt Gen Aminul Karim made NDC commandant

Some vital changes have been made in the top level of Bangladesh Army, officials said Monday.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said President Iajuddin Ahmed, who oversees defence during a caretaker administration, had signed the orders.
According to the sources, Military secretary to the president Md Aminul Karim, and newly appointed principal staff officer (PSO) of the armed forces Abdul Mobin, have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, a government official said Monday.
In the latest of a series of army shuffles, Karim was also appointed head of the National Defence College (NDC), secretary to the president Md Sirajul Islam told news agency.

Hasina exempted from court appearances in all 4 cases

Four separate courts today exempted detained former premier and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina from appearing in person during the trial proceedings of four separate cases.

Upon a petition filed by Sheikh Hasina yesterday, Judge Firoz Alam of Special Court –1 passed an order exempting Hasina during the trail proceeding of barge-mounted power plant case on grounds of her illness.

On the other hand Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Special Court for Dhaka Division also exempted Hasina from personally appearing in the court in connection with MiG-29 purchase scam case.

Another special court of Judge AK Roy also passed an order exempting Hasina from appearing in person during the court proceedings in the Niko scam case.

Meanwhile, another court also exempted Hasina from appearing in the court during the hearing in a Tk 3 crore extortion case filed against her by a businessman Azam J Chowdhury.

According to the court order, Hasina’s lawyers will represent her during both the case proceedings.

Today’s court orders cleared the way for Hasina to go abroad for treatment.

Source: Teh Daily Star

Court orders to return passports of Hasina

A Dhaka court today ordered the authorities concerned to return three passports of detained former premier and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina.

Metropolitan Magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun passed the order following a petition submitted by Hasina’s lawyers seeking return of the passports.

The court also ordered Advocate Kamrul Islam, a lawyer of Hasina, to receive the passports on behalf of Hasina, as she is in detention.

The prosecution side during the hearing did not oppose the petition.

The return of the passports which were seized after Hasina’s arrest on July 16 last year in connection with an extortion case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury will facilitate her with going abroad for treatment.

Source: The daily star

Wives of Khoka, Khandaker Mosharraf, Barisal mayor get bails

The High Court (HC) today granted anticipatory bails for three months to the wives of three top BNP leaders in connection with three separate graft cases.

The High Court also granted the same type of bail to Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka’s daughter Sarika Sadeque.

An HC bench comprising Justice Khondker Musa Khaled and Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury granted the bails to Khoka’s wife Ismat Ara, former health minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain’s wife Bilkis Akhter Hossain and Barisal Mayor Mujibur Rahman Sarwar’s wife Sayda Nasima Sarwar on separate bail petitions.

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed three separate cases accusing the wives of the BNP leaders for aiding and abetting their husbands in accumulating wealth illegally and hiding the information in the wealth statement submitted to the commission. Khoka’s daughter was also accused in the same charges.

Source: the Daily Star

Court spurns Tarique’s petitions for bail, overseas treatment

A special court today turned down petitions for bail and overseas treatment of the BNP’s detained Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman and asked the authorities concerned to give him proper treatment inside the country as per the jail code.

The court also deferred the hearing of charge framing in the Tk 21 crore bribery case against Tarique, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar and six other people till June 15.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of the Special Court-3 gave the ruling after the defence filed three petitions before the court, seeking Tarique’s bail, his treatment abroad and a seven-day time for the defence lawyers to pore over the case documents.

The third appeal, however, was granted.

Among the eight accused, Tarique, Babar and Abu Sufian, director of East-West Property Development Ltd, a concern of the Bashundhara Group, was produced before the court.

On October 4 last year, Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kashem filed the bribery case, involving the murder of Bashundhara Group Director Humayun Kabir Sabbir, with Ramna Police Station accusing six people including Babar.

Tarique and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal were indicted in the case following investigation.

Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam and his two sons Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir and Sadaat Sobhan, and Tarique’s personal secretary Mia Nur Uddin Apu are the other charge-sheeted accused. They are on the run.

The ACC said the eight were involved in receiving and giving the bribe to ensure that Sanvir did not face charges for the murder of Sabbir.

Sabbir’s body was found outside a building in Bashundhara residential area on July 5, 2006.

Tarique was arrested on March 7 last year on extortion charges while Babar was arrested on May 29 last year.

Source: The Daily Star

Pak ruling party vows to cut Musharraf’s power

Pakistan’s ruling party has said it is determined to curtail the powers of the presidency in favor of parliament, whether President Pervez Musharraf likes it or not. Staunch U.S. ally Musharraf, facing a chorus of calls to resign, told journalists on Saturday, in his first meeting with the media for weeks, that he had no plan to quit.

At the same time, Musharraf sounded a generally conciliatory tone saying parliament, dominated by opponents since his allies were defeated in a February election, was supreme.

Musharraf’s fate has consumed the attention of the new coalition since the polls, despite an economy that is deteriorating rapidly and a potent threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Pakistan’s stock market and currency have both come under pressure because of a combination of factors, including the uncertainty over Musharraf and worry about more turmoil in the nuclear-armed country.

In the meeting with journalists on Saturday, Musharraf said he would accept proposed constitutional amendments the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto aimed to push through parliament.

But in what media interpreted as a warning he would not tolerate a cut in his powers, a confident-sounding Musharraf indicated he would not like to be reduced to a ceremonial head of state, saying he could not become a “useless vegetable.”

The People’s Party brushed aside any objections, saying parliament was sovereign and could make or amend laws and the constitution regardless of whether Musharraf liked it or not.

“Such hollow warnings would not deter the democratic forces from restoring the powers of the parliament,” PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement. “THROWING A GAUNTLET”

Bhutto’s widower Asif Ali Zardari, who leads her party, has called Musharraf a “relic of the past” and says the PPP does not recognize him as a constitutional president.

Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister former army chief Musharraf overthrew in a 1999 coup and who leads the second largest party in parliament, wants Musharraf impeached or tried for treason.

Sharif’s brother, Shahbaz, was on Sunday elected chief minister of Punjab, the country’s richest and politically most important province, bolstering the power of their party that won the most seat in the province’s assembly in February.

Another looming challenge to Musharraf is a lawyers’ movement that sprang up last year to fight his attempts to dictate to the judiciary. It is seeking to hasten his departure with a countrywide protest campaign this week.

Asked how would he react if the government tried to impeach him, Musharraf said: “I will abide by whatever parliament decides. Let the parliament decide in a constitutional way.”

Musharraf is believed to be seeking immunity for suspending the constitution and imposing emergency rule for six weeks in November. The PPP leadership, wary of a destabilizing confrontation, is trying to make his exit “dignified,” according to an adviser to Zardari.

Despite Musharraf’s public stance, political insiders say he recognizes that he will have to quit rather than be the cause of more upheaval, and it has become a matter of timing.

But the Dawn newspaper said on Sunday Musharraf appeared confident, perhaps because he had been assured he did not have to worry about impeachment: “He does not seem under pressure to go away in a hurry.”

The News newspaper said Musharraf had thrown down a gauntlet to his opponents: “By stalling his departure and by forcing the political system to unnecessarily spend its energies on now trying and impeaching him, he is directly prolonging the uncertainty.”

Khaleda refuses to go abroad for treatment

Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia today said she will not go abroad for treatment when a special court deferred the hearing on charge framing in Niko case filed against her and 10 others to June 12.

Khaleda, also a former premier, was brought before the court of Judge Khondker Kamal Uz-Zaman of the Special Court-9 set up on the Sangsad Bhaban premises to face the graft charges where she refused to go abroad. She said she will take treatment at home.

Of the accused, former law minister Moudud Ahmed, former state minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former Bapex secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, former Bapex managing director Mir Moynul Hoque, former Bapex secretary Md Shafiur Rahman, controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun and former Dhaka Club president Selim Bhuiyan are in detention while the remaining three others are on the run.

On December 9 last year, Assistant Director of the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Mahbubul Alam filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda and others on charge of abuse of power in awarding a gas exploration and extraction deal to Canadian company Niko.

The ACC submitted a charge sheet against Khaleda and 10 others on May 5.

Source: The Daily Star

Jamaat won’t join talks with Hasina, Khaleda, Nizami held

Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh today formally declared that they would not join the ongoing political dialogue with the government without unconditional releases of its chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and former premiers Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia.

“We will not join the dialogue without unconditional releases of Nizami, Khaleda and Hasina as we said earlier that dialogue and election will not be credible keeping them behind bars,” Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan M Mojaheed said at a press briefing at the party central office.

Mojaheed said the government’s “ill intention” is delaying the election through creating complexities instead of handing over power to elected representatives after holding general election immediately.

He said without participation of all political parties the election would not be acceptable home and abroad. “It’s a government’s duty to ensure participation of all political parties in the election and the government has to do it.”

Taking a swipe at government’s recent crackdown on political leaders “in the name of curbing corruption”, he asked for stopping such “political harassment”.

Gen Masud transferred again

In a second army shuffle in less than a week, NDC chief Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, who has served as chief coordinator to the National Coordination Committee on Corruption and Serious Crimes since it came into being early last year, has again been transferred.

Source: Bdnews24