US, Pakistan see opportunity for Bhasha Dam financing

WASHINGTON  - Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator USAID on Sunday agreed that, with positive mood on the turnaround in Pakistani economy and successful launch of Eurobond, it is an opportune moment to explore innovative financing for Diamir Bhasha Dam.
They also discussed programme portfolio and future priorities when Dr. Raj Shah along with his team, called on Finance Minister Dar at the World Bank.  Senator Dar was assisted by Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani, Secretary Finance Dr. Waqar Masood Khan, Secretary Economic Affairs Division Ms. Nargis Sethi, Acting Governor State Bank Ashraf Mehmood Wathra and Additional Secretary (EF) Shahid Mahmood, according to the Pakistani embassy.
At the outset, Dr. Shah congratulated the Finance Minister on the successful 2nd review of EFF Programme and the successful launching of Eurobonds.  Furthermore, he appreciated that the efforts of the Pakistan government bore fruit and Dasu Hydropower Project was going to the World Bank Board on 29th May 2014.
He reiterated his commitment to increase the ‘on budget’ portion of USAID disbursement to 35% in the current calendar year.
He informed that the three equity funds, which had been given $20 million each under Pakistan Private Investment Initiative, were now in the process of raising matching capital and would soon begin lending funds to the small and medium enterprises.
He stated that since the mood of the investors and lenders was very positive towards Pakistan, therefore it was an opportune moment to have conference on Diamir Bhasha Dam in which major construction firms may be invited.
These firms, in his opinion, would be interested to finance Diamir Bhasha Dam through supply of machinery through EXIM Bank when the project would reach construction phase. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar thanked Dr. Shah for his positive comments on the turnaround of the Pakistan economy.
The Finance Minister briefly informed him about the macro indicators like economic growth, fiscal deficit and debt to GDP ratio, inflation, current account deficit, exchange rate and stabilization of the Rupee, revenue generation and the outstanding performance of the Karachi Stock Market, all of which were pointing towards resurgence of Pakistan economy.
The Finance Minister stated that the months of March, April and May were important for Pakistan as during this period World Bank had approved the CASA-1000 project while it was also taking the two Development Policy Credits and Dasu Hydropower Project (DHP) to its board.
Moreover, during this period Pakistan had second successful review of the EFF and was all set for the 3rd review for the period which ended on 31st March.
The Finance Minister said that holding a potential investors’ conference on Diamir Bhasha Dam and approval of the Dasu Hydropower project are aligned with the stated policy of the PML(N) Government.
He stated that according to his information, US EXIM Bank was offering finances to other countries in the region for a period of 20 years without the requirement of sovereign guarantee while in the case of Pakistan, the period of financing was 7 years and for that too sovereign guarantee was required.
The Finance Minister observed that this treatment was denying a level-playing field and discouraging investments in Pakistan.
Dr. Shah promised to intervene in the matter and also to hold conferences on Diamir Bhasha Dam after the approval of DHP by the World Bank as this would send strong signals about the improved health of energy sector in Pakistan

Drone strikes in Pakistan carried out by US air force personnel

WASHINGTON- A regular US air force unit based in the Nevada desert is responsible for flying the CIA's drone strike programme in Pakistan, according to a new documentary to be released on Tuesday.

The film – which has been three years in the making – identifies the unit conducting CIA strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas as the 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, which operates from a secure compound in a corner of Creech air force base, 45 miles from Las Vegas in the Mojave desert. Several former drone operators have claimed that the unit's conventional air force personnel – rather than civilian contractors – have been flying the CIA's heavily armed Predator missions in Pakistan, a 10-year campaign which according to some estimates has killed more than 2,400 people. Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's National Security Project, said this posed questions of legality and oversight. "A lethal force apparatus in which the CIA and regular military collaborate as they are reportedly doing risks upending the checks and balances that restrict where and when lethal force is used, and thwart democratic accountability, which cannot take place in secrecy."

The Guardian approached the National Security Council, the CIA and the Pentagon for comment last week. The NSC and CIA declined to comment, while the Pentagon did not respond. The role of the squadron, and the use of its regular air force personnel in the CIA's targeted killing programme, first emerged during interviews with two former special forces drone operators for a new documentary film, Drone.

Brandon Bryant, a former US Predator operator, told the film he decided to speak out after senior officials in the Obama administration gave a briefing last year in which they said they wanted to "transfer" control of the CIA's secret drones programme to the military. Bryant said this was disingenuous because it was widely known in military circles that the US air force was already involved. "There is a lie hidden within that truth. And the lie is that it's always been the air force that has flown those missions. The CIA might be the customer but the air force has always flown it. A CIA label is just an excuse to not have to give up any information. That is all it has ever been."

Bryant said public scrutiny of the programme had focused so far on the CIA rather than the military, and it was time to acknowledge the role of those who had been carrying out missions on behalf of the agency's civilian analysts. "Everyone talks about CIA over Pakistan, CIA double-tap, CIA over Yemen, CIA over Somalia. But I don't believe that they deserve the entirety of all that credit for the drone programme," he said. "They might drive the missions;they might say that these are the objectives – accomplish it. They don't fly
it."

Shamsi said the revelations, if true, raised "a host of additional pressing questions about the legal framework under which the targeted killing programme is carried out and the basis for the secrecy that continues to shroud it." She added: "It will come as a surprise to most Americans if the CIA is directing the military to carry out warlike activities. The agency should be collecting and analysing foreign intelligence, not presiding over a massive killing apparatus.

Utah Mom admits to killing 6 newborns in 10 years

PROVO, Utah  — Utah woman accused of killing six kidz that she gave birth to over 10 years told investigators that she either strangled or suffocated the children and then put them in boxes in her garage.

According to a probable cause statement released by police Monday, Megan Huntsman said that between 1996 and 2006, she gave birth to at least seven babies at her home and that all but one of them were born alive.

Huntsman, 39, said she killed them immediately after they were born, and put their bodies in the boxes. The statement said each baby was wrapped in either a towel or a shirt, and placed in a plastic bag.

State owned news wire service Associated Press reported that the Huntsman is being held on $6 million bail — $1 million for each baby she’s accused of killing. It wasn’t immediately clear if she had an attorney.

Huntsman was arrested Sunday on six counts of murder after police found the infants’ tiny bodies. A seventh baby found appears to have been stillborn, Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Buhman said.

Formal charges have not yet been filed against Huntsman and no other arrests have been made, but Buhman said the investigation remains open.

Investigators were trying to determine if the seven babies had the same father or multiple fathers, Buhman said.

The gruesome case has raised a series of questions about how the killings occurred despite Huntsman maintaining what neighbors said seemed like a normal existence. Police declined to comment on a motive and on what Huntsman said during an interview with investigators.

Her estranged husband found the first infant’s body while cleaning out the garage after recently getting out of prison. Authorities do not believe he was aware of the killings and he isn’t a person of interest at this time.

Police Capt. Michael Roberts said officers responded to a call from him Saturday about a dead infant, and then they found the six other bodies.

Family and neighbors identified the estranged husband as Darren West, who has been in prison on drug-related charges.

Roberts said police believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.

“We don’t believe he had any knowledge of the situation,” Roberts told the Associated Press.

Asked how West could not have known about the situation, Roberts replied, “That’s the million-dollar question. Amazing.”

The babies’ bodies were sent to the Utah medical examiner’s office for tests, including one to determine the cause of death. DNA samples taken from the suspect and her husband will determine definitively whether the two are the parents, as investigators believe.

Huntsman also has three daughters — one teenager and two young adults — who lived at the house.

Neighbors in the middle-class neighborhood of mostly older homes 35 miles south of Salt Lake City say they were shocked by the accusations and perplexed that the woman’s older children still living in the home didn’t know their mother was pregnant or notice anything suspicious.

Late Sunday, West’s family issued a statement saying they were in a “state of shock and confusion.”

“We are mourning this tragic loss of life and we are trying to stay strong and help each other through this awful event,” the statement said before asking for privacy.

West pleaded guilty in federal court in 2005 to two counts of possessing chemicals intended to be used in manufacturing methamphetamine, court records show. In August 2006, he was sentenced to nine years in prison, but appealed the term three times. He maintained his innocence and said he never had any intention to manufacture meth.

West’s sister Sarah Wright wrote to federal district court in 2006, saying West is a good father to his three daughters. She said he worked at an excavation company for 11 years and is an avid outdoorsman who likes to fish and camp.

“Darren is such an awesome dad,” she wrote.

Neighbors told the AP they were shocked and horrified by the accusations of what went on inside the home. None of them even knew Huntsman was pregnant in recent years.

The family members seemed like nice people and good neighbors, said Aaron and Kathie Hawker, who live next door.

Huntsman moved out several years ago, leaving her three daughters to live alone, the Hawkers said. They weren’t sure where Huntsman has since been living.

Years ago, Huntsman baby-sat the Hawker grandchildren and they were friendly with each other.

“It makes us so sad, we want to cry,” Kathie Hawker said. “We enjoyed having them as a neighbor. This has just blown us away.”

Aaron Hawker said he talked with West on Saturday morning. He told Hawker he was cleaning out the mess in the garage.

“Two hours later, suddenly we had all these policemen here,” Aaron Hawker said.

Fred Newman, a neighbor whose cousin is the husband’s mother, said he’s perplexed how the three oldest daughters living there didn’t know about what police say was going on. He said the girls didn’t always park their cars in the garage, but did sometimes in the cold winter months.

He said he has used his snowblower to clean off the driveway of the home and the young women would thank him.

The girls were normal youngsters, coming and going often, neighbor Vickie Nelson said.

“It’s shocking and kind of morbid and strange,” Nelson said as she looked across the street at the garage from her front lawn.

Roberts said the case has been “emotionally draining” and upsetting to investigators. He was at the home when the bodies were discovered.

“My personal reaction? Just shocked. Couldn’t believe it. The other officers felt the same,” the 19-year police veteran said.

“They got more and more shocked each box they opened,” Roberts said.

Gaddafi sons' war crimes trial begins in Libya amid security fears

Saif al-Islam, pictured after his capture in November 2011, will stand trial by video link. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters

The war crimes trial of two sons of Libya's former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, begins amid tight security in Tripoli on Monday, in a case causing sensation at home and controversy among rights groups.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and his younger brother, Saadi, are accused of orchestrating a campaign of murder, torture and bombardment of civilians during Libya's eight-month civil war in 2011.

Appearing with them are Gaddafi's former spy chief, Abdullah al-Senussi,two former prime ministers and 34 senior officials: much of the dictatorship's surviving elite.

The trial is going ahead despite much of the country being gripped by violence and the blockading of oil production by rebel militias. Libya's interim prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni resigned on Sunday saying he had faced threats and could not continue, just weeks after he was appointed to the post.

The prime minister said he resigned because of a cowardly attack on his family that had made his position untenable, underlining the chaos of Libya and its domination by militias. It is unclear how congress, opposed by regions in the east and west of the country, can find enough MPs to elect a new prime minister, with only 76 of 200 attending and elections unlikely before August.

Security fears mean that the Gadaffi trial has moved to the capital's maximum security al-Hadba prison, which has been ringed with armoured cars, barbed wire and machine-gun nests.

In a sign of the power of the militias, units holding Saif al-Islam in the mountain town of Zintan have refused to hand him over to the authorities. Instead, he will stand trial over a video link.

The defendants are accused of masterminding a chain of massacres in the early days of Libya's revolution, and of later rounding up, torturing and killing hundreds of opponents. The two brothers are also accused of plundering state coffers to fund extravagant playboy lifestyles abroad.

Until the revolution, Saif al-Islam enjoyed the high life, being entertained at Buckingham Palace and enjoying links with Prince Andrew and Tony Blair.

Saadi, 40, is best known for his failed attempts to become a professional footballer, being signed by three Italian Serie-A clubs in quick succession, but managing just two appearances in three years. Prosecutors say he was responsible for troops firing into the crowd during a Libyan cup final in 1996.

Investigators have released few details of the case, but documents filed by Libya with the international criminal court show an extensive charge sheet, more than 200 witnesses and 40,000 pages of evidence.

Central to the case are telephone intercepts allegedly recording the accused ordering war crimes, and a video that judges in The Hague say is genuine, showing Senussi ordering his followers "to be ready to destroy these filthy groups altogether".

But rights groups say violence against judges and lawyers, which have seen the rule of law suspended across much of the country, leave a question mark over the trial. "Militias and criminals have harassed, intimidated, threatened and in some cases assassinated judges, prosecutors, witnesses," said Hanan Salah, of Human Rights Watch.

Concern about due process was heightened this month with the release of a video made by prison guards, apparently without a lawyer present, showing Saadi supposedly confessing to his crimes.

The trial is also controversial because the international criminal court, which has charged Saif al-Islam and Senussi, has yet to agree to Libyan requests to try both at home.

Judges at The Hague ruled that Saif al-Islam must be sent to the ICC, and his lawyers are appealing against a decision that Libya is fit to try Senussi, 64. His ICC legal team, led by Ben Emmerson QC, say Libya refused them permission to visit their client.

"How can you have a fair trial if they don't let the lawyers visit Senussi or even speak to him by phone?" said Amal Alamuddin, one of the ICC defence team.

Libya insists the trial will be fair and transparent. "I can assure you that the trial will be according to the correct legal procedures," said Ahmed Lamin, a government spokesman.

And Libyans themselves are eager to see the trial of their former tormentors. "This case is going to be an example, not just for the old guys on trial, but for the new guys in power," said a Tripoli photographer Magdi el-Nakua. "The message for the new guys is that any abuses, no matter how you see yourselves, you will be made to account for them."

Russia spends more of its wealth on arms than US in 2013

The rise in defence spending highlights Moscow’s resurgent military ambition as it confronts the west over Ukraine. Photograph: Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images

Russia spent a higher proportion of its wealth on arms than the US last year for the first time in more than a decade, according to figures published on Monday by a leading international research body that highlights Moscow's resurgent military ambition as it confronts the west over Ukraine.

Western countries, including Britain and the US, reduced defence budgets, but Russia increased arms spending by 4.8% in real terms last year to almost $88bn (£52m), devoting a bigger share of its GDP to the military than the US for the first time since 2003, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).

China and Saudi Arabia were also among a list of countries that increased arms spending, but overall world military expenditure fell by 1.9% to $1.75tn in 2013. Britain is estimated to have dropped to its lowest place in the military spending league since the second world war.

Under Russia's state armaments plan, Moscow plans to spend $705bn to replace 70% of the country's military equipment by 2020. Although Russia's 850,000-strong armed forces are by far the biggest in the region, dwarfing that of Ukraine, for example, much of its hardware is in need of modernising.

And despite devoting ever more resources to defence, Russia still trails far behind the US in absolute terms. America spent $640bn in 2013 (down by 7.8%) – more than three times than China, with $188bn. China increased its defence expenditure by 7.4%, Saudi Arabia by as much as 14% (to $67bn). Spending on arms by Iraq and Bahrain increased by more than 25% during the same period. Military spending in the Middle East as a whole increased by 4% last year, reaching an estimated $150bn. The Saudi increase is partly owing to tensions with Iran, but also the desire to maintain strong and loyal security forces to insure against potential Arab spring-type protests, says Sipri.

It adds: "Maintaining regime survival in the face of internal opposition is also the likely motive for Bahrain's 26% increase."

Afghanistan accounted for the biggest increase in arms spending – 77%. "Not only did Afghanistan have the world's highest increase in military expenditure in 2013, at 77%, spending had risen by 557% over the decade since 2004," says Sipri.

It adds: "This huge increase is the result of Afghanistan's efforts to build its defence and security forces from scratch, heavily supported by foreign aid. The particularly large increase in 2013 is the result of an increase in salaries and wages for the Afghan national army, which reached its target goal of 195 000 soldiers in 2012, and as a result of preparations for the departure of most foreign forces at the end of 2014."

Military spending in Africa increased by more than 8% in 2013, reaching an estimated $44.9bn. Algeria became the first country on the continent with a military budget of more than $10bn. Angola increased its spending by 36%, overtaking South Africa as the largest military spender in sub-Saharan Africa. High oil revenues appear to be a factor driving greater spending in Algeria and Angola, the survey says.

"The increase in military spending in emerging and developing countries continues unabated", said Dr Sam Perlo-Freeman, director of Sipri's military expenditure programme. "While in some cases it is the natural result of economic growth or a response to genuine security needs, in other cases it represents a squandering of natural resource revenues, the dominance of autocratic regimes, or emerging regional arms races.

MH370: Underwater drone to aid search for missing plane

The Bluefin 21 autonomous sub being loaded on board the Royal Australian Navy Vessel Ocean Shield on April 1. Photograph: AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Blair Photograph: MC1 Peter D. Blair/AP

Authorities will deploy an underwater drone to conduct sonar searches for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.

The joint agency co-ordination centre chief, Angus Houston, said on Monday that no pings had been detected since last Tuesday and it was now time for the next step in the search.

He has also revealed an oil slick had been detected in the search area.

A sample has been taken and will be tested when it arrives ashore.

The Australian Defence Force vessel Ocean Shield will cease searching with its towed pinger locator and deploy the autonomous underwater vehicle Bluefin 21 as soon as possible to search the seafloor using its side-scan sonar.

Each mission will take a minimum of 24 hours to complete, including the downloading of data.

In mission number one – to commence on Monday evening – it will cover an area of 40 square kilometres.

He says the sub cannot go any deeper than 4,500 metres and it is important to be realistic about its prospects.

"It may be very difficult to find something," he said.

Air Chief Marshal Houston said it would be "a number of days" until the two litres of oil collected could be conclusively tested.

"I stress the source of the oil is yet to be determined," he said.

Houston said the four signals, believed to have originated from the aircraft's black box flight data recorders, still constituted the most promising lead.

Analysis of these signals had allowed determination of a reduced and manageable search area

China cancels human rights dialogue with Britain

David Cameron with Chinese premier Li Keqiang during his 2013 Beijing trip. Cameron said the resumption of the human rights dialogue was an 'important achievement' of his trip. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

China has cancelled this week's bilateral human rights dialogue with Britain, which David Cameron highlighted as one of the "important achievements" of his high-profile trip to Beijing last year.

Beijing accused the UK of making irresponsible comments and using human rights issues to interfere in its internal affairs.

The British prime minister had cited the resumption of the dialogue this spring as one of the successes of his December visit, which followed a diplomatic freeze because of his meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2012.

A Foreign Office spokesman told the Guardian: "We are disappointed that the Chinese government this week unilaterally postponed the dialogue, which was due to take place on 16 April. It is not for us to say why it was postponed.

"We are now in discussion to agree new dates for the dialogue. We consider the dialogue to be an important part of our bilateral relationship with China. It was agreed at the last UK-China summit in December 2013 by the prime minister and Premier Li [Keqiang]."

China's foreign ministry said equality and mutual respect were essential for dialogue between China and the UK on human rights.

"The UK should stop making irresponsible comments and using human rights issues to interfere in China's internal affairs, to create the conditions for the human rights dialogue between China and the UK in the next round," it said.

The Foreign Office describes the dialogue as one of the main pillars of the UK's engagement with China over human rights.

The Tibet Society said in a blogpost that it understood China did not agree with the agenda put forward by the UK and was angered by theUK's role at the recent UN Human Rights Council meeting about China's human rights record.

The UK is thought to have become involved in disputes between China and NGOs at the meeting. Chinese diplomats attempted to block a call by NGOs for a minute's silence in memory of Cao Shunli, a Chinese rights activist who died in custody on 14 March.

Cao, 52, was stopped en route to Geneva where she was headed for a human rights training programme in September, and formally arrested a month later for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble".

China's foreign ministry has described the criticism as "mistaken", adding that her rights had been ensured and that she received "conscientious and proactive treatment".

In 2010, China indefinitely postponed the dialogue shortly after the UK criticised the execution of Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen who had smuggled drugs but was believed to have serious mental health problems. However, it is thought that other issues may have been involved in the decision.

China has also repeatedly suspended its bilateral dialogue with the United States.

Nicholas Bequelin, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: "China is responding to a critique of its shortcomings on human rights by cutting back further on human rights engagement. I don't think that indicates that China is genuinely committed to the outcomes of this dialogue … China is trying to intimidate its international partners by walking away from the table."

Last year, submitting evidence to the foreign affairs select committee on the role of human rights in UK policy towards China, Human Rights Watch noted that, while it supported the dialogue in principel, the arrangement appeared to have delivered very little tangible improvement.

"What is there to show for all of those hours of discussion?

"We are also concerned that the existence of the dialogue allows ministers to say that human rights issues are being dealt with there, as opposed to being raised in meetings between foreign ministers or heads of state."

Supporters of bilateral dialogues say the system allows countries to raise specific cases of concern with Chinese officials and to address issues in more detail. But critics warn that it can lead to the sidelining of rights issues, which are then kept out of high-level meetings.

Beijing criticises 'gesticulating' US

China's foreign ministry told the United States on Monday to stop "gesticulating" in its criticism of China's treatment of dissidents, after Washington urged Beijing to release a prominent activist.

The US last week said it was "deeply disappointed" at a Beijing court's decision to uphold a four-year jail sentence for Xu Zhiyong, an anti-corruption and children's education rights campaigner. The European Union also expressed concern.

Hua Chunying, from the foreign ministry, said Xu was a Chinese citizen who broke the law and was being punished because of it.

"We urge the United States to stop its gesticulating at China on such individual cases, and stop using so-called human rights as an excuse to interfere in China's internal affairs," she told a daily news briefing.

China and the US routinely clash over human rights, adding to a list of issues on which they do not see eye to eye, including trade, the value of China's currency and China's various maritime territorial disputes.

Washington regularly expresses concern about individual Chinese human rights cases and its diplomats often show up outside court houses where trials are taking place, though they are generally not allowed in. Reuters