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UN Gaza report ‘should be buried’

Palestinians flee from an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Dec 2008

Israel’s 22-day Gaza offensive ended in January 2009, with 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead

Israel has called on the UN to cancel a report that said it possibly committed war crimes during its 2008-2009 military offensive in Gaza.

The report’s author, South African judge Richard Goldstone, said on Friday that new accounts indicated Israel had not deliberately targeted civilians.

He said that if he had known what he knew now, “the Goldstone Report would have been a different document”.

Israel’s prime minister said the remark meant the report “should be buried”.

Operation Cast Lead was launched in response to repeated rocket attacks on Israeli territory by militants in Gaza. Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including hundreds of civilians, as well as 13 Israelis.

The Goldstone Report, published in September 2009, concluded that both the Israeli military and militants from the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, had committed potential war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the offensive.

The UN-appointed expert panel led by Mr Goldstone accused Israel of using disproportionate force, deliberately targeting civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure, and using people as human shields.

“Israel does not purposely target civilians and its investigative institutions are competent”

Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Prime MinsterKey excerpts: UN Gaza report

The report also accused Hamas of deliberately targeting civilians and trying to spread terror through by firing rockets at Israeli towns and cities.

Israel refused to co-operate with the investigation, accusing the panel of being biased, and rejected its accusations. It did, however, conduct independent investigations into more than 400 allegations of misconduct.

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Friday, Mr Goldstone wrote that his conclusions about Israel appeared to have been wrong.

He said the Israeli investigations, which were recognised by a UN committee, indicated that “civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy”.

“We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war,” he explained. “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.”

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement: “Everything we said has been proven to be true.

“Israel does not purposely target civilians and its investigative institutions are competent, while Hamas intentionally fires at innocent civilians and does not investigate anything.

“The fact that Goldstone has backtracked means the report should be buried once and for all.”

Mr Goldstone also noted that Hamas had “done nothing” to examine its rocket attacks, which were “purposefully and indiscriminately aimed at civilian targets”.

There was no immediate response from Hamas.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Emirates ship freed from pirates

The bulk carrier was returning from Australia when it was seized

Special forces from the United Arab Emirates have freed a ship hijacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea, according to state media reports.

The WAM news agency said the hijackers surrendered after the troops stormed the bulk carrier MV Arrilah-I, backed by air force units.

It had been seized on Friday while sailing from Australia to the UAE.

It is not know who hijacked the vessel, but Somali pirates have seized dozens of ships south-west of the Arabian Sea.

The bulk carrier’s owner, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, said all the crew were safe and well.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Cricket frenzy

Millions have poured onto the streets of India after their cricketers beat Sri Lanka in the final of the World Cup to become the first Asian nation to win the trophy twice. BBC correspondents in India and Sri Lanka describe scenes of rejoicing and dejection.

Vineet Khare, Wankhede stadium, Mumbai

Fans celebrate as India secure a win over Sri Lanka in the cricket World Cup final - 02 April 2011

India’s win prompted scenes of wild celebration across India.

The wait for hundreds of millions of Indians is finally over. India are the World Cup champions again.

Mumbai erupted in a frenzy, as loud, hysterical cheers and the explosions of fire crackers announced the return of the coveted World Cup to this cricket-addicted nation after 28 years.

Ecstatic fans, wrapped in the Indian flag have invaded the streets and the drums are out.

The sky is lit-up. It is as if Diwali – the festival of lights – has arrived early. It is an unbelievable sight.

From morning there has been hardly any traffic on the road. Local trains carried a fraction of the usual load of passengers. People either stayed back at home or bought their way in to cinema halls, restaurants or pubs showing the match on giant screens.

Cricket enthusiasts painted their faces and draped themselves in the Indian tri-colour.

Securitymen posted around the stadium too kept a tab on the score.

Like others, they were confident that a strong Indian batting line-up would easily be able to chase down the modest Lankan total, though the fall of Sehwag and Tendulkar in quick succession, stunned all.

But as Dhoni and Gambhir – and later Yuvraj Singh – steadied the innings and helped the men in blue go past the Sri Lankan total, we heard a loud roar and the decibel level around the stadium went up several notches.

Honking cars and loud music set the city’s mood as people hugged and congratulated each other.

The Indian cricketing Gods have provided their worshippers a night they will cherish for long.

Mumbai is exploding with joy. This party will not end anytime soon.

Charles Haviland, Colombo

Sri Lanka fans watch in Colombo as India closes in on victory

With India on a roll, Sri Lankan fans were starting to look dejected

In the blazing noon sun, before the match began, fans on the Colombo seafront were confident.

“Sri Lanka will win. It’ll all be one-way… We’ll win because our bowlers are different,” said one.

The streets emptied as fans clustered at the big public screens.

Thousands watched at the Galle Face Green promenade where Colombo-ites usually fly kites or shy couples sit under umbrellas.

Thousands more packed the sports clubs dotted around the leafy Cinnamon Gardens and other suburbs.

At the Nondescript Cricket Club, founded in 1888 “to cater to all sportsmen irrespective of caste, creed, politics or nationality” (according to its plaque), members and their families watched in carnival mood, hoping that the club’s star player, Kumar Sangakkara, would lead his boys to victory in Mumbai.

There was delight as Sri Lanka perked up after their slow start.

The lilting rhythms of the “papare band” – two trumpeters, two drummers and a cymbal-player – filled the humid night air. At the half-way break fireworks tore through the sky.

But by the time Mahendra Singh Dhoni got his 50th run, fans were looking dejected. India were on a roll with seven wickets in hand.

At the 45th over the band were still playing their hearts out.

But by then the match was lost and, as India won, the fans slumped in their chairs, silent, in seeming disbelief. Sri Lanka had been great but not quite good enough on the day.

Yet even after it was all over, there were two more rounds of fireworks, as if to celebrate even this achievement.

Stacks of others were saved to be used on another, happier day.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Guatemala leader’s divorce halted

Sandra Torres said she would divorce her husband for the love of her country

Rugby player Ben Foden cautioned

Foden was cautioned for causing criminal damage

Arsenal 0-0 Blackburn

Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations are dealt a major setback as 10-man Blackburn battle their way to a deserved point.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Gaddafi aide faces more questions

Libya's Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa reads a statement to foreign journalists at a hotel in in Tripoli, in this Friday March 18, 2011

Scottish prosecutors want to question Moussa Koussa over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing

The UK is still seeking information from ex-Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa, who fled to London on Thursday, Defence Secretary Liam Fox has said.

Asked what should happen now to Mr Koussa, Dr Fox told the BBC he would not provide daily updates but “clearly we want to get information from him”.

He said he wanted the message to reach the Libyan regime that its leader, Muammar Gaddafi, should go.

Mr Koussa told officials he was no longer willing to represent the regime.

Scottish prosecutors have asked to interview Mr Koussa about the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which left 270 people dead.

Asked whether Mr Koussa would stand trial if evidence was found linking him to Lockerbie, Dr Fox said: “It’s very clear in Britain that our judicial process moves independently from government.”

Previously, Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted that Mr Koussa had not been offered immunity from prosecution.

In the interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dr Fox objected to describing those fighting pro-Gaddafi forces as the “rebels”, insisting they were “opposition forces” because the regime has no legitimacy.

Moussa Koussa’s career1979-80: De facto ambassador in London1994: Appointed head of foreign intelligence2009: Appointed foreign minister; reportedly resigns 30 March 2011Profile: Gaddafi’s intelligence chief Lockerbie father hails defection

Questioned about whether the UK was backing the opposition, Dr Fox said the UN resolution “gives us the freedom to assist those who are helping protect the civilian population.

“This is not about regime change. This is about stopping the Gaddafi regime from killing its own population. We are not there to intervene in the internal affairs of Libya,” he said.

His comment comes as Libya’s government dismissed as “mad” a conditional ceasefire offer made by the rebel administration.

Spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said troops loyal to Col Gaddafi would never withdraw from the rebel-held cities they were besieging.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

UK base for giant radio telescope

An artist’s impression of telescope dishes at the heart of the network

Prosecutors in FCO Koussa meeting

Prosecutors in Scotland want to speak to Moussa Koussa in connection with the Lockerbie bombing

Scottish prosecutors and police officers are to meet Foreign Office officials to discuss access to ex-Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa.

The Crown Office said it had been in close contact with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) this week.

It has already requested an interview with Mr Koussa in connection with the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.

Mr Koussa arrived in the UK on Wednesday saying he was no longer willing to represent the Libyan regime.

A Crown Office spokesperson said: “I can confirm that representatives of the Crown Office and Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary have been in close contact with FCO officials over recent days and will be meeting with them on Monday to discuss the situation concerning Mr Moussa Koussa further.”

Mr Koussa is continuing to be questioned by intelligence and diplomatic officials, since claiming to have fled from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

In the 1980s Mr Koussa was a leading member of the Libyan Bureau for External Security (the Mathaba) which has been linked to the Lockerbie bombing.

A total of 270 people died when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie in December 1988.

Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi’s remains the only man convicted of the atrocity.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Air strike ‘kills Libyan rebels’

Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said the rebels’ demands were “impossible”

Libya’s government has dismissed as “mad” the conditional ceasefire offer made by the rebel administration.

Spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said troops loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi would never withdraw from the rebel-held cities they were besieging.

He also condemned recent coalition air strikes as “a crime against humanity” and said there had been civilian casualties in one attack on Thursday.

Nato is investigating a report that seven civilians were killed near Brega.

The account, from a doctor in Adjabiya, could not be independently verified.

On Friday, the head of the rebel Transitional National Council, Abdul Jalil Ibrahim, discussed how a truce might come about after meeting UN special envoy Abdelilah al-Khatib in the eastern city of Benghazi.

“We have no objection to a ceasefire but on condition that Libyans in western cities have full freedom in expressing their views and also that the forces that are besieging the cities withdraw,” he told reporters.

“We will not leave our cities – we are the government, not them”

Moussa Ibrahim Libyan government spokesman

“Our main demand is the departure of Muammar Gaddafi and his sons from Libya. This is a demand we will not go back on.”

Mr Abdul Jalil, who quit as justice minister in protest at the use of violence against demonstrators, also said he believed the coalition should begin arming the rebels despite the UN arms embargo on Libya.

“We think that if the international community wants to protect civilians according to the international resolutions, they should take the appropriate measures, which include giving the go ahead to arm the rebels,” he added.

Moussa Ibrahim dismissed the offer of conditional ceasefire, describing the rebels as “tribal, violent, with no unified leadership, al-Qaeda links.”

“The rebels never offered peace. They don’t offer peace. They are making impossible demands.”

“If this is not mad, I don’t know what is,” he added. “We will not leave our cities. We are the government, not them.”

Mr Ibrahim also said six civilians had been killed by an “immoral” air strike in the eastern village of Zawia el Argobe, 15km (9 miles) from Brega.

“Some mad and criminal prime ministers and presidents of Europe are leading a crusade against an Arab Muslim nation,” he told reporters in Tripoli. “Sounds familiar? It’s a crime against humanity.”

A doctor in the town of Ajdabiya, Suleiman Refardi, told the BBC that the coalition air strike had targeted a government convoy that included tanks, artillery and lorries carrying ammunition.

Dr Suleiman Refardi with the BBC's Ben Brown

Dr Suleiman Refardi said a missile hit a truck carrying ammunition, sending out shrapnel

A direct hit on an ammunition truck and trailer in a street in Zawia el Argobe sent a hail of shrapnel into nearby houses, he said.

Four of the dead were female, including three children from the same family, aged between 12 and 16. Three boys, aged between 14 and 20, were also killed.

Dr Refardi said he had spoken to the family of the girls who had been killed and “there was no anger” at the coalition forces.

“If these tanks had entered Ajdabiya it would have been a massacre,” he said. “They [the Libyan people] are expecting more than this, because they know the Gaddafi forces are using civilians as a shield.”

Nato officials told the BBC they were making inquiries “down our operations chain to find out if indeed there is any information on the operation side that would support this claim”.

Meanwhile, the BBC’s Wyre Davies in Ajdabiya says rebel forces there are pressing on to the front line around Brega.

Libyan rebels cheer near Brega (1 April 2011)

Despite recent setbacks, rebel forces are gathering at the front line around Brega

Plenty of enthusiastic, if disorganised, insurgents are driving through in pick-up trucks with heavy-duty machine-guns mounted on the back, he reports.

In another development, the former interior minister, Gen Abdul Fatah Younis, who defected to join the opposition, visited rebels on the frontline, where he was greeted like a hero, the BBC’s Nick Springate reports.

In the only rebel-held city in western Libya, Misrata, forces loyal to Col Gaddafi continued bombard rebel fighters and civilians using tanks and artillery, a doctor in the city told the BBC. The main clinic was targeted, he said.

“I’ve treated two people from the same family who were hit with a mortar – one girl whose chest was open and one lung was completely destroyed,” he added. “Her sister had her right arm amputated.”

Another doctor said at least 140 people had died in Misrata since 18 March.