Ethiopia accuses Norway of undermining security

28 Aug 2007 11:36:50 GMT

Source: Reuters

Tsegaye Tadesse

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Ethiopia accused Norway on Wednesday of undermining its national security and spreading instability in the Horn of Africa, a day after the Addis Ababa government asked Oslo to recall six diplomats.

"Norway has consistently and repeatedly (been) involved in acquiring leverage with the focus of causing instability in the Horn of Africa region," said Wahide Belay, spokesman for Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry.

"This, in turn, has seriously aggravated problems of stability in the Horn of Africa region and also threatened to undermine Ethiopia's national security. ... It has now become clear that there has been no change of policy in this regard."

Late on Monday, Norway's foreign minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, said in a statement that his government regretted the "unilateral decision" taken by the authorities in Addis Ababa.

"We must now take the consequences of the fact that the Ethiopian authorities are upholding their decision and we are therefore making preparations to withdraw six diplomats from our embassy in Addis Ababa (by Sept. 15)," Stoere said.

Stoere did not say whether Ethiopia provided any background on the reasons for the expulsions.

Stoere said the "sharp reduction in staffing" meant Norway might not be able to maintain development cooperation with Ethiopia at current levels, he said. Oil-rich Norway is one of the world's biggest aid donors in per capita terms.

Wahide said Ethiopia's government remained ready to talk.

"Our efforts have been and still are to engage Norway's government in serious dialogue over the matter," Wahide said. (Additional reporting by Wojciech Moskwa in Oslo)

 

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28378886.htm

on Defence Procurment from Pakistan

Pakistan government machinery is in a tizzy after "The Tribune's" December 24 expose of bribes being paid to Sri Lankan officials to clinch arms deals. As a result, hectic fire-fighting efforts are being launched by Islamabad.

Pakistan has issued a directive to all its government defence suppliers --HIT, POF, AWC, Sigma etc-- to make the kickback payments only in cash. They have barred them from making any cheque payments or making payments in tax havens like St.Kitts - at least till the matter dies down.

People, who are familiar with the process involved in defence deals, have commented that the only way payments can now possibly be made is either through illegal money laundering, or, the safest method is to disburse money through Pakistan embassy in Colombo. The latter essentially means cash transfers in diplomatic bags.

With the size of deals being talked about (over US$100 million in immediate future), these diplomatic bags will have to be huge in size. In this case however, payments are made in many small installments and, therefore, current bag size may suffice.

Shipments after shipments are being taken back to Pakistan to rectify the problems being faced by Sri Lanka. Pakistan has agreed to make fresh supplies, after some hectic rounds of bargaining and threat from Sri Lanka to cancel the contacts. But the idea of operating in India's backyard and making a hefty profit in the bargain is too tempting for Pakistan to give up.

So much so that Pakistan is seriously considering to extend a credit line of US$200 million to Sri Lanka for arms purchase. A former diplomat remarked that one beggar country which itself is getting its arms supplies with credit lines from USA (post 9/11 generosity from America, major non-NATO ally status and so on) is trying to give alms to another.

A ship is likely to sail from Pakistan's harbours next month with supplies of tail units of over 200 bombs, electronic fuses to the type - 'AB 100' and over 300 General Purpose bombs of MK 80 series.

Latest to join the list of rubbish on offer is 7M radar, a dual band long scanning air borne radar, currently being used in F7 jets by Pak is also being offered. The reason: it is phased out and Pakistan is replacing it with the latest Chinese version. But if Pakistan manages to sell it off to Colombo, it is likely to generate huge profit for Islamabad.

Sri Lankan media have been abuzz with reports of defective arms supply, but they were not sure if the defective supply was intentional, or if the Pakistani defence industry was simply a wrong choice as a supplier. Official circles in Sri Lanka have lamented that most of the arms and equipment being imported from Islamabad are available off the shelf from several countries.

Colombo is simply unable to comprehend the utility of going to Pakistan for their requirements. The issue becomes complex since Pakistan is importing from Ukraine and other Central Asian countries (the orders procured from Sri Lanka) and then re-exporting at a hefty profit. Recent case being purchase of wares worth US$ 3.0 million from Ukraine (by HIT, Pakistan) and re-export to Sri Lanka at US$ 6.9 million.

Sri Lankan Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella has attempted to deny the charges and merely said in a statement on December 28: "The Government is committed to a cordial relationship with the Pakistan Government."

The Pakistan High Commission in Colombo, in a separate statement, also said that excellence in quality, reliability and affordability have long been the hallmarks of Pakistani defence products.

 

dirty corrupt bastards, this is why they keep this war alive, imagine for the past 30 yrs what crime these politicians have caused our country.

 

pathetic us , dont have the energy to stand up and goto streets for this type of things, thats where we differ with indians they whatever they do they will make sure country is first, inherently corrupt sri lankans born with weak genes.

Secretary of Defence escapes Suicide Bomb attack in Colombo

 

We are paying for the seeds we have sow in the history....,

it means we did not do what was correct politically and militarily due to selfish motive of politicians.

on resent clashes in Muhamalai

 

130 soldiers killed.if we don't recapture the land all the way,these deaths will be in vane.anyhow still nothing is achieved.

on Full-scale fighting flaring up in Sri Lanka

Date: Aug 21, 2006 5:52 PM

With all these fighting going on, one should only realise that the enemy has become strong due to the weakness of the GOSL, for the past 30 years, as such can be seen the enemy foresight now has paid off, with almost impossbile ability of weak GOSL to trounce them, this is the responsibility of all past governments and certain high ranking officials of forces, and the corrupt civi administration system, mainly the ministry of home affairs and the customs where almost all important activities take place in a country.

 

Therefore merely by Asking LTTE to surrender they will not, they will only surrender if they feel that GOSL have good reason to ask from them, in this case the should be inevitable military might, which is rather comprosmising considering for a country that has been threatened by a ruthless terrorist group.

 

Therefore until the selfish politicians and corrupt officials put their act together and show the enemy the weakness that was their is long gone, this strength and confidence of the terrorist will not diminish and deter them from acting this way.

 

Therefore summing up this trouncing of establishments alone will not acheive in destroying their vision, it has to be more powerfull  message to convince them that GOSL will and can destroy them anytime they wish in less than a week, such mighty will only make them sit and think their other options, afterall this country is only 65000sqKm unlike what israel had to fight, with hisbolla, if the forces are not capable to handle this small landarea then they really need to revise the PROTOCOL.
 

on Military Offensives in the East

its time to strike to the heart,

it'll create uncertainty among the ranks,

i hope we wont end up only holding on to what we had before,

rather than gaining ground from them..
17-08-06

 

on Military Offensives in the East

on regional relations

what this if gov try to capitalise by getting more support from Pakistan,

India will be forced (to) ignore the status quo ,

i hope Mahinda chinthana and JVP will wag their tail after Pakistan now.
14-08-06