UN: Turkey, Israel at odd on aid flotilla

The two sides had not agreed on the document, a UN spokesman said. The report into the May 31, 2010 raid in which nine Turkish activists were killed was to have been handed over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday.

But UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Turkey and Israel “have not come to a consensus” on the report. He did not give a new date for the work to be handed over but said the United Nations was still aiming for late August. Haq added that the inquiry members were still working on a final version. “We are hopeful that these efforts will bear fruit.”

Turkey has demanded an apology for the raid. Israel has categorically refused to make such a gesture. The two sides have blamed each other for the new postponement. “The demand to postpone came from Israel, like the previous demands,” Selcuk Unal, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman told Turkey s Anatolia news agency. In Jerusalem, an Israeli official said that “the Turkish side asked for the delay.”

Diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey have been in crisis since Israeli commandos raided the flotilla trying to reach Gaza in defiance of an Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejects calls for ouster

In an interview that was aired live on state TV on Sunday, Syrian President Bashar Assad repeated promises of reforms and warned of “repercussions” should the West choose to intervene militarily in the uprising threatening his family s four-decade rule.

He said that the Western countries are interfering in the internal matters of Syria that is an assault on Syria s sovereignty. He said the uprising could be “controlled.”

When asked about the U.S.-led calls for his removal, Assad scoffed at what he described as the hypocrisy of “these colonial states.” He said the United States shouldn t lecture about human rights given the “millions” of civilian casualties from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and, now, Libya.

Assad said no amount of reform would ever be enough for the West because it seeks to create puppet rulers in the Middle East. He said the Syrian people, not the West, “appointed” him president, so he wasn t worried about the calls for his ouster.

“You can say this to a president who s made in America, or to someone waiting to receive instructions from abroad,” Assad said with a smirk.

He also dismissed the new U.S. sanctions against Syria s lucrative petroleum industry, saying that Syria has endured sanctions for years and that the country was “moving toward the east,” perhaps a nod to his staunchest backer, Iran. “The international scene isn t closed anymore,” Assad said.

US transfers Libyan embassy to rebels

Washington has recognised the Council as Libya s de facto government.

“It is true,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters when asked whether the United States had handed the embassy over to the rebel NTC.

Nuland s deputy Mark Toner said the United States and NTC signed documents that transferred the embassy – which once represented Moamer Kadhafi s regime in Washington — to the rebels based in the eastern Libyan port of Benghazi.

At a meeting last month in Istanbul, the United States and other powers recognised the NTC as “the legitimate governing authority in Libya” until an interim government is formed.

Ali Aujali, who was accredited as Libya s ambassador, defected from the Kadhafi regime in February as violence erupted and affiliated himself with the National Transitional Council.

It was not immediately clear whether Aujali would head the new mission. Nor was it clear whether the embassy was now staffed with the NTC.

U.S. deeply regrets any disclosure of secrets

WASHINGTON: The United States deeply regrets any disclosure of classified information, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday in her first comment on the release of State Department cables by whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.

While she would not comment directly on the cables, which were described on Sunday by five news organizations who had advance access to some of more than 250,000 cables obtained by WikiLeaks, Clinton said the United States would take aggressive steps to hold responsible those who “stole” them.

“The United States deeply regrets the disclosure of any information that was intended to be confidential, including private discussions between counterparts or our diplomats’ personal assessments and observations,” she told reporters.

According to the Guardian newspaper, the documents report that Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged

Obama sees end to Afghan combat mission by 2014

LISBON: President Barack Obama said for the first time on Saturday his goal was to end the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and to significantly reduce the number of U.S. troops deployed there by then.

His remarks, made at the end of a NATO summit in Lisbon, surprised, as earlier in the day top aides had told reporters that Washington was not yet ready to commit to such a target.

“My goal is to make sure that by 2014 we have transitioned, Afghans are in the lead, and it is a goal to make sure we are not still engaged in combat operations of the sort we are involved in now,” Obama told a news conference.

He said the United States endorsed NATO’s plan to transfer security responsibility to Afghan security forces by 2014, but stressed that counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda in the region would likely continue after that

New US Ambassador Cameron Munter met Nawaz

PML-N’s leader Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has said that it is vital importance of time that Pakistan and US must improve their relations in every field; US must keep in mind the difficulties and necessities of Pakistan while forming any trade policies.

Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif Saturday hoped that US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter would play his role toward bringing the peoples of the two countries closer. In the meeting held at Raiwand, Lahore, Nawaz said that Pakistan is facing a great financial defecit due to the ongoing war on terror, so US must formulate the trade policies accordingly, keeping all the points in mind. Nawaz thanked Munters quick and generous response to the floods, while the ambassador and Shahbaz agreed that the $147 million primary education agreement recently concluded between USAID and the Punjab government should become a model for future cooperation in the province. Cameron Munter, on the occasion, conveyed a message of goodwill from his government to Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. He also said the United States deemed Pakistan a trusted ally and friend and that it would continue to stand by Pakistan in a time of trial.

Saudi prince’s letter being verified: Foreign Office

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said that a letter written by Saudi Prince was being verified to confirm its authenticity.

Commenting on Indian desire to become member of Nuclear Suppliers Group, he said, Pakistan strongly believes that there should be level playing for the two countries. He said Pakistan has been insisting to get the same treatment by the international community on civil nuclear cooperation that has been made available to India.

Replying to a question about American Presidents visit to India, the spokesman hoped that it would help contribute towards peace and stability in South Asia.

The spokesman said the United States also understand how important Jammu and Kashmir issue is for peace and stability of the region.
The spokesman told a questioner that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in the process of establishing authenticity or otherwise of the reported letter of the Saudi Prince to the Chief Justice of Pakistan regarding acquisition of accommodation for pilgrims in the holy land.

U.S. to cut aid to Pakistani army units over abuse: report

WASHINGTON: The United States intends to cut off aid to about a half-dozen Pakistani army units believed to have killed civilians and unarmed prisoners, The New York Times reported late on Thursday.

If confirmed, the decision would represent an extraordinary censure of the Pakistani military just as President Barack Obama’s administration seeks greater action from Islamabad in tackling Taliban safe havens.

The Times said the United States has not told Pakistan of the decision, even though senior Pakistani and military officials are in Washington for a series of meetings.

It quoted an unnamed U.S. official saying there was “a lot of concern about not embarrassing” the Pakistani military.

U.S. officials this year have repeatedly raised questions with Islamabad about allegations of extra-judicial killings by the Pakistani military, an important ally in

Holbrooke visits flood-hit Sindh

Staff Report

KARACHI: US special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke visited flood relief camps in Thatta and Makli on Wednesday.

He said floods have brought devastation in Pakistan, adding that the international community will certainly help the affectees.

Promising continued support, he said Pakistan alone could not deal with the massive destruction.

The US envoy was told that Pakistan’s canal system needed immediate rehabilitation after being devastated by floods.

Holbrooke said the United States has provided $300 million and eight helicopters to help the flood victims.

Clinton warns N Korea against provocation

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned North Korea Wednesday to halt what she called its provocations and threats, and said the world must respond to its sinking of a South Korean warship.
Clinton, who is visiting Seoul to show solidarity amid rising inter-Korean tensions, also said the United States was reviewing additional options to hold the North accountable.

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