Geo World

Docs show CIA-Libyan-spies close ties

WASHINGTON: Documents found in Tripoli detail close ties between the CIA and Libya's intelligence service and suggest the United States sent terrorism suspects for questioning in Libya despite that country's reputation for torture, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The Times reported that the files cover the time from 2002 to 2007, when Moussa Koussa headed Libya's External Security Organization. Koussa most recently had been Libya's foreign minister but defected from now-fugitive leader Muammar Gaddafi's government and flew to Britain on March 30 amid this year's rebel uprising. The newspaper reported that the documents -- including some English-language files concerning the CIA and Britain's MI-6 intelligence agency -- were found on Friday at the abandoned office of Libya's former spy chief by journalists and the group Human Rights Watch. The Times said it was impossible to verify the authenticity of the documents but that their content appears to be consistent with facts known about the U.S. transfer of terrorism suspects abroad for interrogation -- a practice known as rendition -- and other known CIA practices. Renditions occurred under former President George W. Bush's administration. It has been known that Western intelligence services began cooperating with Libya after Gaddafi abandoned his program to build unconventional weapons in 2004. But the files show cooperation with the CIA and MI-6 was more extensive than previously understood, the Times reported. One document appears to be a proposed speech written by the Americans for Gaddafi about renouncing unconventional weapons. Other files show that MI-6 was willing to trace telephone numbers for the Libyans. A series of communications about renditions is dated after Libya's 2004 renouncement of its weapons program. The files mention having a friendly country arrest a terrorism suspect, and then suggest aircraft would be sent to retrieve the suspect and bring him to Libya for questioning, the Times reported. One document detailed a list of 89 questions for the Libyans to ask a terrorism suspect, the Times said. Some documents told the Libyans to respect detainees' human rights but the Americans still turned over the suspects to a Libyan intelligence service with a long-established history of brutality, the Times said. "The rendition program was all about handing over these significant figures related to al Qaeda so they could torture them and get the information they wanted," Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch, who studied the documents in the intelligence headquarters in downtown Tripoli, told the Times. CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood is quoted by the Times as declining to comment specifically on the documents but saying, "It can't come as a surprise that the Central Intelligence Agency works with foreign governments to help protect our country from terrorism and other deadly threats." The British Foreign Office told the Times: "It is the longstanding policy of the government not to comment on intelligence matters." (Reuters)

Geo Pakistan

45 die in three days of Sindh, Balochistan downpours

KARACHI: At least 45 persons have perished in the unabated three days of torrential rains that lashed many parts of the country including Sindh and Balochistan, Geo News reported. Sindh stands devastated by the recent rain spell all across the province. Ali Nawaz Wah and Pandraho Wah canals in Faizganj area of district Khairpur developed 50 feet wide each breaches inundating eight villages and the surrounding areas. In a roof collapse near Garhi Pul a child, 8 died and six women were injured, while after the rain two including a woman died of snake bites at Nara and Paryalo. Several villages and standing crops on vast areas in the Tehsil Salehpat of Sukkur remain inundated by the heavy rains and the rain water coming down the hills, while the affectees haven’t received any help as yet. In Nawabshah, the stagnant and stinking rain water not being drained out creating worst health and hygiene problems, whixh has given rise to the fears of an epidemic breaking out. Following stormy rain in the district Mirpurkhas, breaches in LBOD (Left Bank Outfall Drain) was feared at five places and the work for the strengthening of the embankments is underway. The affected people in the surrounding area have shifted to safer places on self help basis. Hundreds of mud houses and standing crops on thousands of acres of land have been washed away by flooding rains in most areas of the district Dadu including Johi and Mehar. Nausehro Feroze low lying areas remain submerged in the stagnant rain water. In district Ghotki, the affected people, whose mud houses were washed away by stormy rains, are still waiting helplessly for some relief and succour. Larkana, Qambar and Shahdadkot low lying areas and the roads and streets remain inundated by stagnant rain water feared breaking out epidemic diseases. The roads and streets in Tehsil Khanpur of Rahimyar Khan in Punjab also remain submerged under knee-deep stagnant stinking water, which the administration has so far miserably failed to drain out, while the people facing different sorts of diseases, especially those related with drinking of contaminated water.

Geo Health

Child brides have more mental illness

NEW YORK: Child brides more often face psychiatric disorders than women who marry after they turn 18, researchers have found. Their work is the first to try to gauge the mental toll of child marriage, which has already been tied to several health problems, such as pregnancy complications and an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections. So far, most research has focused on child marriages in low- and middle-income nations in Africa and Asia, where it is often rampant. But according to the new report, the U.S. also has its fair share of underage brides. Based on a government survey from 2001 and 2002, it estimates that as many as nine percent of American women took their vows as kids. About 9.4 million women were married at 16 or younger, and 1.7 million were no older than 15. All but one state require couples to be at least 18 years old to be married. With parental consent, however, marriage age is only 16 in most states, and under some circumstances may be as low as 15 in Hawaii and Missouri. Blacks and Native Americans were more likely to be child brides than whites, Dr. Yann Le Strat, of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, and colleagues report in the journal Pediatrics. Although the rate of child marriage seems to be on the decline, they say, "support for psychiatric vulnerabilities of women married as children is required." Face-to-face interviews with nearly 25,000 women who were at least 18 revealed that 53 percent of those who had been child brides had some psychiatric disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Of the women who married as adults, that figure was 49 percent. Former child brides were also more likely to be diagnosed as "nicotine dependent" and with "anti-social personality disorder." The findings don't prove that marrying as a child will necessarily lead to mental illness, the French team cautions. Yet most women had been married before they developed mental problems, and the findings couldn't be entirely chalked up to differences in household incomes, education and other social factors. (Reuters)

Geo Pakistan

132 more stranded pilgrims arrive in Lahore

LAHORE: 132 more Pakistani Umrah pilgrims stranded in Jeddah airport have arrived in Lahore via Saudi Airline in the wee hours of Saturday, Geo News reported. According to the details, the pilgrims were supposed to return on August 27, but they remained stranded for seven days due to severe disturbance in flights schedule. Pakistani officials and Saudi Airlines took action after 'Geo News' report. The flight was due to take off from Jeddah at 11:00pm last night but owing to some technical faults it took off with delay of four hours. It arrived here at 7:00 am today. Earlier, on Friday 1000 stranded pilgrims returned via two PIA flights each carrying 450 and 550 each at Lahore airport. Family members, relatives and friends of the pilgrims warmly welcomed them.

Geo World

Libya's NTC announces election in 20 months

TRIPOLI: Libya's new leaders said they will move to Tripoli next week after their forces defeated Moamer Kadhafi and they won wide international support for plans to bring democratic rule. "We will go to Tripoli next week. Tripoli is our capital," National Transitional Council (NTC) chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil told dignitaries and tribesmen in the eastern city of Benghazi. Three days after overrunning Tripoli, the NTC announced on August 26 plans to transfer its executive branch to the Libyan capital, but said the whole of the council and its chair would only move once security was guaranteed. In Tripoli, thousands of people, most of them women, gathered in Martyrs' Square in a show of support for the new leadership, also raising US and French flags while mocking Kadhafi by wearing curly wigs. "We will win or we will die" and "Libya is one and united," read their banners. Bolstered by promises made at a conference in Paris on Thursday of billions of dollars in cash from unfrozen assets of the Kadhafi regime, the NTC prepared to implement a roadmap for bringing democracy to Libya. A body tasked with drafting a constitution should be elected within eight months and a government within 20 months, NTC representative in Britain Guma al-Gamaty told the British media on Friday. For the first eight months the NTC would lead Libya, during which a council of about 200 people should have been directly elected, Gamaty said, referring to plans drawn up in March and refined last month. "This council... will take over and oversee the drafting of a democratic constitution, that should be debated and then brought to a referendum," he said. Within a year of the council being installed, final parliamentary and presidential elections should be held. (AFP)

Geo Sports

Defiant Mawoyo carries bat but Pakistan hit back

BULAWAYO: Tintotenda Mawoyo became the third Zimbabwean player to carry his bat as the opener made 163 not out in his side's first innings total of 412 on the second day of the Test against Pakistan at Queens Sports Club Friday. After the early loss of Taufeeq Umar, the Pakistan batsmen settled well on an easy pitch and by the close had reached 116 for one with Mohammad Hafeez on 79 and Azhar Ali on 27. They trail by 296 runs with nine wickets in hand. The day, however, belonged to the 25-year-old Mawoyo who picked up where he left off on Thursday as he stone-walled the Pakistan attack. Resuming on 82 he went on to reach his maiden Test century and then, as wickets fell around him, pushed on past the 150-mark. When last man Chris Mpofu was bowled by Aizeez Cheema to signal the delayed tea interval, Mawoyo had become the 47th batsman in the history of Test cricket -- this is the 2006th Test match -- to carry his bat. The only two Zimbabweans to do it before him also achieved the feat against Pakistan. Mark Dekker made 68 not out in Rawalpini in 1993 while Grant Flower hit 156 not out on this ground in 1998. Starting the day on 245 for four, Zimbabwe lost Craig Ervine early when he gave Juanid Jhan his first Test wicket, caught and bowled for 49, ending a fifth wicket partnership of 94 with Mawoyo. Debutant Greg Lamb, however, dug in to add another 95 with the opener for the sixth wicket. Mawoyo had a major stroke of luck when he was on 98 as Adnan Akmal missed a straightforward stumping off Saeed Ajmal. It was his second chance as Sohail Khan dropped him on the boundary when he had made 25. There was a little bit of uncertainty as he reached his century. Mawoyo thought he was running a leg-bye only to realise it was his all-important 100th run when the umpire failed to signal the extra. Mawoyo faced 453 balls and spent a total of 645 minutes at the crease, hitting 20 boundaries during the course of his innings. Only David Houghton, who made 266 in 675 minutes against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in 1994 and Flower, whose 201 not out against Pakistan in Harare in 1995 spanned 654 minutes, have produced longer innings for Zimbabwe. When Lamb fell for 38, the Zimbabwe tail fell apart but they still got the side across the psychological 400-odd mark. Saeed Ajmal bowled with guile and variation, his doosras a constant torment to the Zimbabwe batsmen but he was out of luck, finishing with four for 143. It fell to Aizaz Cheema to clean up with tail and he helped himself to four for 79. When Pakistan came out after tea, they were quickly in trouble as Taufeeq Umar was given out leg before to Kyle Jarvis even though the ball pitched outside leg stump. Hafeez, however, made light of the setback, hammering one six off Lamb and 15 fours -- three of them off successive deliveries from Brian Vitori -- as he raced to 79 from just 93 deliveries. His partner Azkar Ali was more circumspect, nudging his way to 27 from 72 deliveries but by the close the stand was worth 108 and both batsmen were looking forward to another dig on this batting-friendly pitch. (AFP) Zimbabwe first innings (overnight 245-5) T. Mawoyo not out 163 V. Sibanda st A. Akmal b S. Ajmal 45 H. Masakadza b S. Ajmal 11 B. Taylor lbw b S. Ajmal 10 T. Taibu c A. Akmal b S. Khan 44 C. Ervine c and b J. Khan 49 G. Lamb lbw b S.Ajmal 39 R. Price c Azhar Ali b Cheema 6 B. Vitori c Y. Khan b Cheema 14 K. Jarvis b Cheema 0 C. Mpofu b Cheema 8 Extras (7b, 13lb, 1w, 2nb) 23 Total (all out, 150.4 overs) 412 Fall of wickets: 1-71, 2-91, 3-111, 4-176, 5-270, 6-365, 7-374, 8-394, 9-394, 10-412 Bowling: Cheema 28.4-11-79-4 (2nb); S. Khan 24-8-62-1; J. Khan 29-14-55-1 (1w); S. Ajmal 41-9-100-3; M. Hafeez 9-1-30-0; A. Ali 6-1-23-0 Pakistan first innings M. Hafeez not out 79 T. Umar lbw b Jarvis 4 A. Ali not out 27 Extras (6lb) 6 Total (for 1 wkt, 29 overs) 116 To bat: Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema Fall of wickets: 1-8 Bowling: Vitori 8-0-55-0; Jarvis 7-3-16-1; Mpofu 3-0-12-0; Price 9-3-19-0, Lamb 2-0-8-0 Match position: Pakistan trail Zimbabwe by 296 runs with nine first innings wickets left in hand at the close of the second day. Toss: Pakistan Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Rodney Tucker (AUS) TV umpire: Jeremiah Matibiri (ZIM) Match referee: David Boon (AUS) (AFP)

Geo Pakistan

Nation celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with religious zeal today

ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated today all-over Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan with great religious zeal, fervor and festivity, marking the culmination of the holy month of Ramazan. Big Eid congregations will be held all-over Pakistan. Special arrangements had been made to offer Eid prayer across the country. On the occasion, special prayers will be offered for the progress and prosperity of the country, unity of the ‘Ummah’, solution of their problems and liberation of Muslim territories, including occupied Kashmir. In the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, the Eid congregations too place at more than 300 places. In Islamabad, the largest congregation will be held at the grand Faisal Mosque, where the high-ups of the government also offered Eid prayers. In Rawalpindi, the biggest Eid congregation will be held at the historic Liaquat Bagh. Following the Eid prayers, Muslims spent their time feasting with family and friends and feeding those who are less fortunate. In Karachi Eid congregations will be held at Memon mosque, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Nishtar Park, National stadium and other small and large places and mosques. Sweets and other special dishes are being prepared for serving the guests. People also exchanged gifts on the occasion. Immediately after the announcement that the Shawwal moon has been sighted on Tuesday night, a wave of happiness surged through the masses. People swarmed the markets and Eid bazaars for shopping and women crowded the beauty parlours and shops, selling bangles and mehndi. Till late night people were busy in shopping in the markets. Meanwhile foolproof security measures have been adopted on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Policemen have been deputed outside the bazaars, shopping centres and sensitive public and private buildings. Strict security measures had also been adopted outside the ‘Eidgahs’, while police kept patrolling. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have greeted the people of the country on the occasion of Eid, and urged them to promote affection, tolerance, patience and brotherhood. The two leaders said these principles were needed to create a society according to the tenets of Islam. (Geo Urdu/PPI)