Al-Qaeda:  Osama bin Laden May Still be Alive, Musharraf Says

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said yesterday there were signs terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was still alive (see GSN, May 1).

It is possible that bin Laden, along with a small team of bodyguards, is hiding somewhere along the Pakistani-Afghan border, Musharraf said.

?Some indications are there that he is not dead, but where is he?  Nothing can be said about that,? Musharraf said.  ?If they are in a small group, two, four, eight or 10 people, then they can hide in this side, our side of the tribal area, or hide on the Afghan side.  I cannot say with surety,? he said (Reuters/Boston Globe, May 2).

Pakistani Police Arrest Al-Qaeda Operatives

Meanwhile, Pakistani authorities earlier this week arrested two al-Qaeda operatives, including one believed to have helped finance the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, according to FBI and U.S. intelligence officials.

One of two arrested al-Qaeda operatives was Ali Abd al-Aziz, who is believed to have provided the Sept. 11 terrorists with $120,000 to pay for flight lessons and cover living expenses while in the United States.  Pakistani police also arrested Walid Ba Attash, who is suspected of having helped plan the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole.  Both men are believed to have information about the Sept. 11 attacks and other al-Qaeda operations, and authorities believe they were arrested as they were planning new attacks, according to Time.

?This is huge,? a top U.S. official said of the arrests (Elaine Shannon, Time, May 1).

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U.S. Response:  Senate Intelligence Committee Approves Fiscal 2004 Intelligence Authorization Bill

The U.S. Senate Select Intelligence Committee yesterday voted unanimously to approve the fiscal 2004 intelligence authorization bill, which committee members said included a ?dramatic? increase in intelligence funding (see GSN, April 30).

While the exact funding level in the bill was not disclosed, the committee included specific funding for the creation of a terrorist suspect ?watch list? and to help improve information sharing among various U.S. agencies, according to the Los Angeles Times.  The bill would also allow defense intelligence agencies to quickly hire specialists such as weapons experts and calls for the creation of pilot programs allowing analysts access to raw intelligence gathered by other agencies, the Times reported.  A vote in the full Senate on the bill has not yet been scheduled.

The bill reflects the expanded demands on U.S. intelligence agencies rising from the war on terrorism and military operations in Iraq, said committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.).

?This nation has been and remains at war, and I believe that this bill reflects that reality,? Roberts said in a statement.  ?We are better than we were on Sept. 11, but we still have a long way to go,? he said (Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, May 2).

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Iraq:  Bush Declares Victory

U.S. President George W. Bush last night declared victory in the U.S.-led war on Iraq (see GSN, May 1).

?The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11th, 2001, and still goes on,? Bush said during an address on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

During his speech, Bush did not address U.S. forces? failure so far to find any evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, according to the Washington Post.  Instead, he said that U.S. troops have ?begun the search? and that ?no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the regime is no more.?

Bush also issued a warning to other countries, such as Iran and North Korea, against supporting terrorism or trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction.

?Any person, organization or government that supports, protects or harbors terrorists is complicit in the murder of the innocent and equally guilty of terrorist crimes,? Bush said.  ?Any outlaw regime that has ties to terrorist groups and seeks or possesses weapons of mass destruction is a grave danger to the ? world ? and will be confronted,? he said (Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, May 2).

More Iraqi Officials Captured

Meanwhile, U.S. forces in Iraq have taken into custody three former senior Iraqi officials, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, April 30).

U.S. troops have captured Abd al Tawab Mullah Huwaysh, former director of the Office of Military Industrialization, and former Iraqi Vice President Taha Muhie-eldin Marouf, the U.S. Central Command announced today.  In addition, U.S. forces yesterday captured Mizban Khadr Hadi, a member of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein?s Revolutionary Command Council and a top Baath Party leader, according to an announcement at the U.S Army?s V Corps headquarters

The V Corps? announcement also said that former Iraqi Trade Minister Muhammad Mahdi al-Salih was arrested yesterday.  The U.S. military in Washington, however, had previously announced al-Salih?s arrest April 23.  The Central Command has not reconciled the apparent discrepancy and did not comment on Hadi?s reported arrest, AP reported (Jim Heintz, Associated Press/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 2).

Sanctions

A draft U.N. Security Council resolution on the lifting of sanctions against Iraq could be circulated within the council as soon as next week, diplomats said yesterday.

While the United States and the United Kingdom have just begun to discuss their proposals with other council members, ?a draft could be circulated as early as next week,? a U.S. official said.  The two countries are ?still trying to package all this,? the official added.

Russia, citing past U.N. resolutions, has said sanctions against Iraq cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors verify that the country is disarmed of weapons of mass destruction.  The United States has argued that the council can change its own rules on the sanctions, however, because Hussein, who was their main target, is no longer in control of Iraq.

?The whole focus of work in the Security Council now should be directed toward the future and with the Iraqi people, and not to fight out some of the old battles of the past,? U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said during a speech in Madrid.  ?And I?m very pleased that almost ? I might say all ? of my colleagues in the U.N. now are seeing it in that light, and they are talking about let?s be pragmatic, let?s not be dogmatic or theological about this,? he said (Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times, May 2).

Some diplomats have said that it is unlikely that the sanctions will be fully lifted by early next month, when the Iraqi oil-for-food program must be renewed.  Instead, a suspension or a phase-out of the sanctions is more likely to be approved by June 3, diplomats said.  They added that the June 3 date could also be moved back (Evelyn Leopold, Reuters, May 2).

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South Asia:  India, Pakistan Say They Will Hold Talks

India and Pakistan said today that they plan to hold their first set of talks in almost two years soon, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, April 30).

?These rounds of talks will be decisive, and at least for my life, these will be the last,? Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said before the Indian Parliament.

Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed confirmed the talks, saying they will begin ?very soon.?

?Talks will begin very soon,? Ahmed said.  ?Things are moving very fast,? he added.

In addition to the planned talks, Vajpayee said he would work to restore India?s diplomatic ties with Pakistan by appointing a new ambassador to the country and by restoring civil aviation links.  Pakistan is likely to restore diplomatic ties with India as well, Ahmed said.

In his remarks before the Indian Parliament, Vajpayee did not address questions as to whether he was changing India?s policy of refusing to hold talks with Pakistan until it ended support for militant separatist groups in the disputed region of Kashmir.

?This is a new beginning,? Vajpayee said.  ?We don?t want to forget the past, but we don?t want to remain slaves of the past,? he added (Laurinda Keys, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 2).

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Iran:  United States Urges IAEA to Report On Tehran?s Nuclear Program

The United States is urging the International Atomic Energy Agency to take action on what the United States sees as violations of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by Iran, Bush administration sources said yesterday (see GSN, April 24).

During a meeting of the agency?s board of governors last month, U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Brill formally requested that IAEA Director General Mohammed ElBaradei submit a report by June 16 as to whether Iran?s nuclear program is only for civilian use, sources said.  If Iran were found to be violating the NPT, then U.S. officials would expect a meeting of the U.N. Security Council similar to one held last month to discuss North Korea?s nuclear weapons efforts, according to United Press International.

?We hope the (IAEA) report will be as hard-hitting and thorough as possible,? a senior State Department official said Monday (Eli Lake, United Press International/Washington Times, May 2).

The United States has also called on European nations to use diplomacy to convince Iran to end its nuclear program, according to the Financial Times.

The United States wants European nations to implement several measures to make it more difficult for rogue states, such as Iran, to develop weapons of mass destruction.  For example, European nations should work to strengthen export controls, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation John Wolf.

?The bar should be raised much higher,? Wolf said during an NPT preparatory meeting in Geneva (see GSN, April 28).

The IAEA should also be strengthened and a more active partnership between the United States and Europe should be developed, Wolf said.  ?These are issues in which the U.S. cannot act alone,? he said (Judy Dempsey, Financial Times, May 2).

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North Korea:  Pyongyang Seeks Diplomatic Ties With Japan as Part of Plan to End Nuclear Efforts

During a series of talks last week with the United States and China, North Korea called for the ?normalization of diplomatic relations? with Japan as one of its conditions for abandoning its relaunched nuclear program, Japanese sources said yesterday (see GSN, May 1).

North Korea?s desire to establish normal relations with Japan was included in what Pyongyang called its ?bold new proposal? to end the conflict over its nuclear weapons program, sources said.  In addition, the North Korean delegation at the meeting did not clarify whether they would accept the participation of Japan and South Korea in any future multilateral meetings on the nuclear issue (Daily Yomiuri, May 2).

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has said he will not insist that his country be involved in any future talks between the United States, North Korea and China.

?I instructed my secretaries and ministers not to upset the (dialogue) table by trying to put our foot in the meeting,? Roh said.  ?What is important is not whether we are present at the talks or not but whether our interests are guaranteed.  From the beginning, I said it would be fine if we could not take part in the talks,? he said (AFX News, May 2).

Japanese, Indian Defense Officials to Discuss North Korea

Meanwhile, Japanese Defense Agency Director Shigeru Ishiba is scheduled to travel to India Saturday to meet with Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes to discuss regional and international issues, diplomats said.  The talks are expected to include discussion on India?s claims that Pakistan aided North Korea in the development of its nuclear program, sources said.

?Japan is trying to establish the nexus and if the nexus is proven true then it will have serious repercussions for Japan?s relations with Pakistan,? an Indian source said (Pratap Chakravarty, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, May 2).

North Korea Calls for Workers to be Ready

North Korea yesterday called on its workers to prepare for a possible war with the United States.

During a rally in Pyongyang, communist labor leader Ryom Sun Gil urged workers to form regiments ?so that they may be fully ready to defend the country from the enemy?s invasion,? said the state-run Korean Central News Agency (Sang-Hun Choe, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, May 1).

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Smallpox:  More than 100 Pregnant Women Have Received Vaccine, Despite Warnings

More than 100 pregnant women have received the smallpox vaccine, even though the U.S. vaccination campaign has made an effort to exclude them because of health concerns, U.S. officials reported yesterday (see GSN, May 1).

Some of the 103 pregnant women who were vaccinated did not know they were pregnant at the time they received the inoculation, according to the New York Times.  Others became pregnant in the four weeks after being vaccinated, even though they were warned not to do so.  Out of the 103 women, six were health care workers, 85 were in the military and 12 were involved in vaccine studies, the Times reported. 

The cases of pregnant women receiving the smallpox vaccine raise concerns, doctors said.  For example, the vaccine can cause harm to a fetus by causing fetal vaccinia, an infection with the virus used to produce the vaccine, they said.  The cases are also said to illustrate how difficult it can be to exclude people with health concerns from vaccination programs.

?Despite a program that was elaborately focused on safety, these inadvertent events happen.  That is a large number of women.  All these women were informed elaborately about the need not to be pregnant,? said William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.  ?Fortunately, the risk of fetal vaccinia is very low,? Schaffner added (Denise Grady, New York Times, May 2).

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Anthrax:  Brazilians Send Dead Sailor?s Tissue Samples to CDC

Brazilian health officials have sent tissue samples from an Egyptian seaman who was thought to have died of anthrax to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agencia JB reported Wednesday (see GSN, April 30).

?We have to figure this mystery out,? said Luis Malcher, Director of Brazil?s Medical Legal Institute.  ?If it is not anthrax, so what is it?? he asked.

Ibrahim Saved Soliman Ibrahim died after vomiting blood last week, shortly after boarding a ship headed for Canada.

Brazilian officials sent samples from Ibrahim?s brain, pancreas and lungs to the CDC for analysis.

?All we know is that it is a bacillus of the same genre as anthrax, it is just from a different species,? said Manoel Soares, director of the Brazilian Evandro Chagas Institute.

The collection of tissue samples took too long, however, and might have compromised the potential for learning what killed Ibrahim, Soares added (Antonio Soares, Agencia JB, April 30, GSN translation).

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Syria:  Powell To Call on Damascus to Review Policies In Light of Fall of Hussein

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to arrive in Syria late today to call on President Bashar Assad to review his country?s policies in light of the fall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (see GSN, April 21).

The end of Hussein?s regime has helped to create in the region ?a new strategic dynamic they (Syria) should consider,? Powell said during a speech in Madrid.  ?They should review their policies in light of these changes,? he said.

The United States has accused Syria of being a state sponsor of terrorism and of attempting to develop chemical weapons, according to the Financial Times (see GSN, May 1).

Powell said that while he was expecting a ?full and candid conversation? with Assad during his visit to Damascus, he was ?not looking for specific results? (Guy Dinmore, Financial Times, May 2).

Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa said yesterday that Powell was welcome to express U.S. positions during his visit.

?He can put to us his idea within the framework of dialogue (and) explain his views on events in the region,? al-Sharaa said.  ?We will respond to these points without a spirit of aggressiveness,? he said.

Al-Sharaa also warned, however, that Syria ?will not respond to demands? (Agence France-Presse, May 2).

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India:  New Delhi Plans to Increase Missile Exports

India plans to increase ballistic missile exports soon to friendly countries, the Economic Times reported today (see GSN, April 29).

Missile systems being considered for export range from cruise missiles to antitank weapons, according to the Times.  One of the missile systems considered to have a high export potential is the BrahMos antiship supersonic cruise missile (Rajat Pandit, Economic Times, May 2).

State-run company Bharat Dynamics is also considering exporting subsystems of the surface-to-surface Prithvi missile, according to Agence France-Presse.  Only Prithvi subsystems are being considered for export because of concerns that exports of the entire missile would have security implications for India.

?The missile will go to Singapore but from there we do not know what its final destination is,? a company official said (Agence France-Presse, May 2).

India?s planned missile exports will not violate international norms nor exceed the restrictions imposed by the Missile Technology Control Regime, even though India is not a member, defense sources said (Pandit, Economic Times).

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