Ottawa not doing enough to secure small ports: union poll
By MURRAY BREWSTER
HALIFAX (CP) - Ottawa needs to do more to secure Canada's smaller commercial ports to make them less vulnerable to terrorists attacks and criminals, a poll of port officials to be released Wednesday indicates.
The survey, obtained late Tuesday by The Canadian Press, found a majority of those interviewed doubt that their communities could prevent terrorism, drug smuggling and other criminal acts at their ports. Sixty police chiefs, port officials and municipal leaders from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. were interviewed for the poll.
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http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/WarOnTerrorism/2005/03/29/975987-cp.html
As always...you are kindly welcome.
* Most militants located in tribal areas on Pakistani border
KABUL: Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda is making efforts to engineer a Taliban comeback and regain its foothold in Afghanistan, said US commander Lt Gen David Barno on Tuesday.
Barno said the US believed both Bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar were still in the region, possibly on the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said, “Al Qaeda is still providing financing, with guidance, training, support and selected people to help lead and motivate Taliban operations in Afghanistan.”
Barno, who leads a force of around 18,000 US troops in Afghanistan, added that Al Qaeda militants were “located in tribal areas probably on both sides of the border” with Pakistan. “We operate under the assumption that they’re still in this region,” he said when asked where Bin Laden and Mullah Omar were believed to be.
However, Barno said the country’s political and economic developments had made it less attractive for the Taliban. “The Taliban realise that the future doesn’t lead to a path that includes Al Qaeda and Taliban, it’s a democratic path that people have voted for and chosen right now,” he said.
He said the militant movement would likely step up attacks against civilian targets and Afghan-Pakistani border posts in the spring, saying, “They’re looking for opportunities to strike in various places if they find a weakness. That could be in a city, that could be in remote areas.”
Taliban fighters were in disarray and would avoid direct contact with US-led troops, said the US commander, adding that he did not anticipate a “countrywide offensive”. He said that an Afghan government amnesty offer to rank-and file-Taliban fighters would “fracture” the Taliban movement and the US had indications that over 1,000 out of several thousand Taliban would be eligible.
Barno said the US hoped that Pakistan would continue to keep up the pressure on the Taliban and Al Qaeda on the other side of the Afghan border. “Pakistanis have done more than any other single country in terms of arresting Al Qaeda leadership and breaking down their networks inside of Pakistan,” he added.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_30-3-2005_pg7_2
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More troops reach South Waziristan
Staff Report
WANA: Fresh army reinforcement reached South Waziristan’s regional headquarters on Tuesday triggering fears of a military operation.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Times that dozens of army vehicles carrying troops and ammunition were seen moving towards the main military base of Zarinoor near Wana.
“I have counted dozens of army trucks carrying soldiers and ammunition and also jeeps heading towards Zarinoor base,” Wana resident Muhammad Noor said. Waziristan was calm but tense since November last year when security forces smashed some of the strongholds of Al Qaeda-linked militants and their tribal harbours and focus was shifted towards bordering North Waziristan.
Wana residents fear that with snow-melting a new military operation might be launched as the ‘presence of militants’ showed.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_30-3-2005_pg1_4