'India will intervene if LTTE lays down arms'

Putting the onus on the LTTE for halting the Sri Lankan military offensive in the north of the island nation, Home Minister P Chidambaram has said if the outfit laid down arms, India would intervene and arrange for a negotiated settlement to the vexed ethnic issue.

"Our (Congress) policy is clear. LTTE is an armed militant group. They must announce that they are willing to lay down arms and are prepared for talks. Simultaneously, the Sri Lankan Government should suspend its military offensive," he told a public meeting organised by the party here on Sunday night.

"Indian Government will definitely arrange for a dialogue if the LTTE lays down arms and came forward for talks. A good solution can be found to the 40 lakh Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said asking the Congressmen to carry this message to every nook and corner of the state.

Chidambaram's comments came at a time when several pro-LTTE parties and outfits in Tamil Nadu are demanding immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka and accusing the state and Central governments of "failure" to ensure safety of civilian Tamils caught in the ongoing war.

The union minister criticised the LTTE for not utilising the recent 48-hour ceasefire proposed by the Sri Lankan government to allow people to move to safer areas and come for talks.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross evacuated Monday a ferry load of 400 civilians wounded in fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels.

The injured and their accompanying relatives were shipped out of the conflict zone in the northeast of the island and taken for "further medical treatment," International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman Sarasi Wijeratne said.

The ICRC carried out similar sea evacuations twice last week, bringing 745 wounded from Puttumattalan to the government-controlled northeastern seaport town of Trincomalee.

The ICRC has warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" unfolding in the region, where the government says thousands of civilians are being held as human shields by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The United Nations, the United States and Britain have asked the Tigers to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone while also urging the Colombo government to declare a temporary truce. Both calls have been rejected.

The Sri Lankan military says it is on the verge of victory, having boxed the remnants of the LTTE into a narrow strip of coastal jungle.

Hundreds of ethnic Tamils took to the streets of the northern town of Vavuniya on Monday, calling on the rebels to allow all civilians safe passage.

About 37,000 people have fled the conflict zone, but global rights groups have also raised concerns that the government is holding refugees in "prison-like conditions."

Saarc failure overshadows anti-terrorism taskforce

The idea of regional anti-terrorism taskforce for South Asia is unlikely to shine as the past initiatives taken by Saarc to counter terrorism did not succeed, thanks to the India-Pakistan rift.

Experts observed that South Asia needed joint efforts to fight terrorism, but they were skeptic about the success of a venture for a joint taskforce as the long simmering dispute between India and Pakistan worsened further over Mumbai tragedy in November.

Prof Imtiaz Ahmed, who teaches international relations at Dhaka University, suggested a national taskforce be formed first that would prepare a design of the South Asian taskforce which would be tabled at the next Saarc summit.

“A national taskforce can be formed comprising lawmakers, politicians, intellectuals and civil society members,” he said.

Security expert Shahedul Anam Khan said a regional taskforce might help fulfill the Saarc agreements on tackling terrorism but it was difficult to say how effective the proposed taskforce would be in the strategic orientation and geopolitical compulsion of the region.

It is quite evident that India and Pakistan cannot go together despite having inflicted by string of terrorist attacks. They failed to agree on a joint investigation into the Mumbai attack that rather whipped up a blame game and strained the relationship further.

Though Bangladesh is enthusiastic over the anti-terrorism taskforce, other countries made lukewarm response to the matter.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stressed concerted efforts to resolve this long-standing problem at a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Mukherjee did not make any significant remark on the proposed taskforce although the issue was supposed to be at the top of the agenda during the visit of the Indian minister.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni also said she had talks with Pranab Mukherjee on the regional taskforces. She would take the modalities for the body to other countries in the region for discussion.

Pakistani media however reported that Mukherjee replied in the negative to Bangladesh’s proposal on the anti-terrorism taskforce.

In a report titled “Pranab says no to SA taskforce,” The Nation said, “India has said ‘no’ to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s proposal for forming South Asian Taskforce to fight terrorism in South Asia.

Professor Imtiaz is not worried about Pranab’s silence about the taskforce. “It can be a blessing for South Asia. His silence may rather help draw positive response from Pakistan,” he said.

Some local and international security experts pointed finger at the failure of different initiatives taken by South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and voiced doubt over the success of a fresh venture.

Shahedul Anam said the issue of Kashmir could overshadow the creation of such a taskforce. “It has caused two wars and numerous skirmishes between the sub-continent's two nuclear neighbours,” he said.

The fact that regional resources must be combined to address terrorism had been acknowledged long ago when the Saarc Convention on Terrorism was adopted in 1987.

The convention was reinforced by the adoption of Additional Protocol on terrorism at the 12th Summit whose modalities were finalised in the Dhaka Summit.

Jim Rolfe, who teaches at Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies in Honolulu as associate professor, said, “SAARC should get down to implementing the declarations they have agreed upon in various summits.”

The SAARC established a Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) in Colombo to collate, analyse and disseminate information about the terrorist incidence, tactics, strategies and methods.

In the 11th Summit in Kathmandu in January 2002, the leaders of the SAARC had taken a pledge to make collective efforts to stamp out terrorism.

The Saarc initiatives nipped in the bud. Almost every South Asian nation is riddled with terrorism in one way or another but none of them has seen any action from the Saarc over the last few decades.

There is no doubt that causes of terrorism in South Asia need joint efforts to be uprooted. In South Asia, political, ethno-cultural and religious conflicts, occasional terrorist activities with cross-border ramifications, illegal trafficking of small arms are the same old stories.

Md Shamsul Islam, Research Fellow of Bangladesh Institute of International Strategic Studies, said most of the South Asian countries share the same problem as it had been ruled by same dynasties before and the problems are interconnected.

To be successful in such attempts, Pakistan and India must be seated within to work together as Pakistan is often dubbed as hotbed of extremism.

Lynch arrested on weapons charge

Buffalo Bills' Marshawn Lynch was arrested this past week on a felony charge of possession of a concealed firearm.

Lynch, 22, was arrested last Wednesday night when Culver City police found a loaded weapon in his car.

After being transported to the booking center, Lynch was released on $35,000 bond. Police said the case has been submitted to the District Attorney's office for filing consideration.

It marks the second run-in with the law in the last year for Lynch, who was investigated in a hit-and-run case in June 2008.

Following this latest incident, Lynch could possibly face a suspension from the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

The Bills and the NFL have not yet commented on the arrest. Lynch's agent, Michael Sullivan, could not be reached for comment.

According to a release issued by the Culver City Police Department, Lynch and two other men were seated in a 2006 Mercedes Benz when officers began a "field investigation" of the vehicle.

After speaking with Lynch and the other two occupants, officers discovered the loaded firearm and "determined the gun belonged to Lynch," according to police.

Leading All-Star selections

Shaquille O'Neal has been selected for the 15th time for an All-Star game - the second-most in NBA history. Who's first?

Well, it is Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who holds the record for most All-Star Game selections and most All-Star Games played. He was selected 19 times and has played in 18 All-Star games.

O'Neal holds the record for most All-Star Game selection among active players, with 15 selections.

Jerry West has the most consecutive selections with 14. Karl Malone was also selected for 14 consecutive All-Star Games if one excludes the lockout-cancelled 1999 game, while Bob Cousy and John Havlicek are tied for the most consecutive games played.

As of the 2009 All-Star Game, 365 players have been selected for an All-Star Game roster at least once.

Most All-Star selections (selected)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 19
Shaquille O'Neal* 15
Michael Jordan 14
Karl Malone 14
Jerry West 14
Wilt Chamberlain 13
Bob Cousy 13
John Havlicek 13
Larry Bird 12
Kevin Garnett* 12
Elvin Hayes 12
Magic Johnson 12
Hakeem Olajuwon 12
Oscar Robertson 12
Bill Russell 12
Dolph Schayes 12
Isiah Thomas 12
Charles Barkley 11
Elgin Baylor 11
Kobe Bryant* 11
Tim Duncan* 11
Julius Erving 11
Patrick Ewing 11
Moses Malone 11
Bob Pettit 11
Paul Arizin 10
Clyde Drexler 10
Hal Greer 10
Allen Iverson* 10
David Robinson 10
John Stockton 10
Ray Allen* 9

Murray crushes Nadal

Andy Murray beat Rafael Nadal to win the ABN AMRO World Tournament in a scrappy encounter at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena.

Murray looked comfortable as he took the first set 6-3 but both players struggled to hold serve in the second, which Nadal won 6-4 before the Scot took advantage of an injury to Nadal's right knee to win the third 6-0 and pick up his 10th ATP title.

The 21-year-old Murray was carrying an ankle injury he picked up during his quarter-final win over Marc Gicquel, but showed little signs of early discomfort as he raced around the court before burying two forehands to take his first service game.

Nadal held before spurning his first break point to allow Murray to take a 2-1 lead. The match stayed with serve as Murray let a 0-30 lead slip to lose the fourth before he thundered an ace down on the way to take a 3-2 lead despite his second double fault of the game.

A series of unforced errors from the Spaniard gave the Scot two break points and he seized the opportunity at the second attempt when Nadal sent a forehand long to give Murray a 4-2 lead.

Murray held before Nadal found top gear to win the eighth to love but a composed Murray showed no nerves as he clinched the first set 6-3 by holding his service game to love.

The British number one carried his momentum into the second set by keeping Nadal pinned to the baseline but the Spaniard was equal to Murray's efforts and held his first service game.

Pinpoint-serving allowed Murray to level before the world number four took the third game to deuce thanks to an incredible pass after a powerful Nadal smash at the net. The Spaniard responded in a clinical fashion, however, to take a 2-1 lead.

The Spaniard received treatment to his right thigh before returning and that seemed to affect Murray's concentration as he ploughed a simple forehand into the net to allow Nadal to break.

Both players then failed to hold serve for the remaining six games of the set before Nadal clinched the second set 6-4 when Murray hit a backhand long.

Murray broke Nadal's first game in the third to love before holding to take a 2-0 lead. Nadal's right knee seemed to be causing him problems and he double-faulted on the way to allowing Murray to break again to give the Scot a commanding lead.

He won the next two games with ease before breezing past the despondent Nadal with an ace in the sixth to pick up his second title of the year.