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from Mutter's: This seems VERY significant.

2004-12-19 17:02 * PAKISTAN * PRESIDENT * ISLAMIC RADICALS * PROTEST *

PAKISTANI RADICALS DEMAND RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF FROM THE POST OF SUPREME COMMANDER OF ARMED FORCES

ISLAMABAD, December 19 (RIA Novosti's Evgeny Pakhomov)

Pakistani Islamic radicals believe that President Pervez Musharraf will be responsible for the future political chaos and the collapse of the country if he refuses to resign from the post of the Supreme Commander of Pakistani Armed Forces by the end of 2004, announced leader of the alliance of six leading radical parties Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Qazi Hussain Ahmad. He also stated that the alliance plans to organize mass meetings around the country.

Islamic radicals have already conducted a series of protests in a number of Pakistani cites. However, Mr. Ahmad stressed that this time the actions will be conducted on an even greater scale. The first protest action is scheduled for Sunday in a town of Ravalpindi, 25 kilometers from the capital, Islamabad.

In an interview published on Saturday by the leading Pakistani newspaper in Urdu language Daily Jang, Mr. Musharraf announced that he intended to keep his military post even after December 31.

In his opinion, he must remain the President and the Supreme Commander "to ensure stability and unity of the nation." In particular, Mr. Musharraf pointed out that his decision to keep both posts had been supported by more than 90% of the population.

In contrast, the radical MMA leaders believe that Mr. Musharraf's decision violates the provisions of the Pakistani constitution. "The General has time till December 31 to decide. The protest against the military rule in the country is growing day by day," Qazi Hussain Ahmad stated.

He said that MMA maintains ties with all oppositional forces in the country, including the Pakistani People's Party, led by exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and with the Pakistani Muslim League led by another former Prime Minister, Navaz Sharif, who had been recently released from jail.

General Pervez Musharraf came to power in the wake of a military coup in 1999. In 2002, Pakistan held parliamentary elections. However, Mr. Musharraf kept the posts of the President and the Supreme Commander, maintaining the right to dismiss the government and dissolve the parliament.

en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm...do_alert=0

courtesy of mutter's.

Now, how do you think this ties in with the "disappearance" of little Kim?

North Korea threatens to strengthen deterrent against US

(AFP)

20 December 2004

SEOUL

North Korea, which says it deserves nuclear weapons for self-defence, vowed Monday to strengthen its deterrent if the United States holds on to a “hostile” policy on the communist country.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman condemned the recent US legislation of a human rights law on North Korea as part of the US policy to bring down the communist regime.

Stalinist North Korea has been locked in a standoff with the United States and its allies for years over its nuclear weapons drive. Negotiations are deadlocked.

“If the United States... pursues its hostile policy to isolate and stifle (North Korea) under the pretext of the “nuclear issue’ and “human rights issue’... the latter will react to it by further increasing its self-defensive deterrent force,” the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“It is deplorable for the US to style itself an international ’judge of human rights,’ unaware of its position. By nature the US is the worst human rights graveyard in the world.”

The United States passed a law in October to “help promote human rights and freedom” in North Korea, according to a White House statement at the time. Pyongyang said the legislation aimed to topple the communist leadership.

Washington denies seeking to bring down the reclusive Pyongyang regime.

North Korea has been under growing pressure to return to multilateral negotiations on curbing its nuclear weapons drive.

The two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States have held three rounds of talks aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions since the standoff erupted in October 2002.

North Korea boycotted a fourth round of the talks scheduled for Beijing in September, citing what it called the hostile US policy and other issues.

China, North Korea’s closest ally, has been trying to re-start the talks.

Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper published by North Korea’s ruling communist party, on Monday called for unity and consolidation under leader Kim Jong-Il in a renewed pledge to strengthen the country’s armed forces.

“It is... necessary to continue to strengthen the People’s Army, the driving force of the Songun (army-led) revolution,” Rodong said in an editorial carried by KCNA.

www.khaleejtimes.com/Disp...world&col=

Plus----Chinese troops are massed on the North Korean border.