Committed to working with India on NSG nod: US

New Delhi :, Augast 25 2008 : Affirming its commitment to work with India in securing a "clean" waiver from the NSG, the US on Monday said that the two countries will "continue our vigorous joint advocacy", including at the highest levels, for it ahead of the grouping's next meeting on September 4।

US Ambassador to India, David C Mulford, said that Washington is committed to working with New Delhi to rapidly complete the remaining steps necessary to conclude the Indo-US civil nuclear deal for which clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a key step।

"The US and India stand shoulder-to-shoulder in their desire for a clean exception and we will continue to work with our Indian partners to persuade the NSG countries that such an exemption is in the international community's best interests," he said in a statement in New Delhi।

"Ahead of the scheduled NSG plenary on September 4, the US and India will continue our vigorous joint advocacy for the initiative at the highest levels of NSG Governments," Mulford said।

His statement came in the backdrop of questions by some sections as to whether the US did its bit adequately to secure the NSG waiver as promised by it in the Joint Statement of July 18, 2005।

The questions were raised after the two-day NSG meeting in Vienna last week failed to arrive at a consensus, with several member countries seeking changes in the draft introduced by the US।

As India is not a member of the NSG, the onus of garnering consensus support of the grouping was on the US. It had sent its officials to various NSG member countries to persuade them to vote for the waiver.

Jaipur, A'bad blasts: Key planner held frm Lucknow

Lucknow:, 25 2008 Augast : A man suspected to have been involved in the serial bombings in Jaipur and Ahmedabad was arrested from here Monday, police said।

A team of the Jaipur police and the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh police nabbed the man, whose identity was not immediately revealed, from Aminabad locality at about 2.30 p.m. And he was produced in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here, police said.

US committed to work with India in securing NSG nod: Mulford

New Delhi (PTI): Affirming its commitment to work with India in securing a "clean" waiver from the NSG, the US on Monday said the two countries will "continue our vigorous joint advocacy", including at the highest levels, for it ahead of the grouping's next meeting on September 4।

US Ambassador to India, David C Mulford, said Washington is committed to working with New Delhi to rapidly complete the remaining steps necessary to conclude the Indo-US nuclear deal for which clearance from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a key step।

"The US and India stand shoulder-to-shoulder in their desire for a clean exception and we will continue to work with our Indian partners to persuade the NSG countries that such an exemption is in the international community's best interests," he said in a statement here।

"Ahead of the scheduled NSG plenary on September 4, the US and India will continue our vigorous joint advocacy for the initiative at the highest levels of NSG governments," Mulford said।

His statement came in the backdrop of questions by some sections as to whether the US did its bit adequately to secure the NSG waiver as promised by it in the Joint Statement of July 18, 2005।

The questions were raised after the two-day NSG meeting in Vienna last week failed to arrive at a consensus, with several member countries seeking changes in the draft introduced by the US।

As India is not a member of the NSG, the onus of garnering consensus support of the grouping was on the US. It had sent its officials to various NSG member countries to persuade them to vote for the waiver.

Ban on SIMI to continue till Sept 24: SC

NEW DELHI, 25 2008 Augast :The Supreme Court on Monday extended stay on Tribunal order lifting the ban on Students Islamic Movement of india (SIMI) for six weeks, till the date of next hearing।

The decision has come after the UPA government told the apex court that SIMI, the fundamentalist outfit, is a threat to "peace, integrity and secular fabric of India"।

Pressing for an absolute ban on SIMI, which has been found to be increasingly involved in terrorist attacks, the Centre had told the Supreme Court that SIMI activists are not just busy spreading the message of "jihad", but have also "extended full support to extremists and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab and have been involved in various militant and disruptive activities in Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu"।

In its hard-hitting affidavit designed to overcome the setback it suffered on August 6 when the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal had turned down its plea to continue the ban on SIMI, the Centre said that allowing free run to the organization would seriously compromise national security।

The tribunal had lifted the ban on the jihadi organization on the ground that the Centre had failed to provide it with fresh evidence to back up its case। The two Yadav chieftains and Paswan swiftly latched on to this, to hand out certificates of innocence to SIMI.

In its hard-hitting affidavit, the UPA government had told the SC that SIMI had also "extended full support to extremists and terrorists in J&K and Punjab and have been involved in various militant and disruptive activities in Maharashtra, Kerala, UP and TN"।

The Centre's 42-page affidavit in the top court marked a strong refutation of the "no fresh evidence" argument cited by the tribunal and the three leaders।

Displaying a new anxiety to give as much evidence as possible before the apex court, the Centre gave a list of 349 cases that were filed against SIMI prior to February 2006 as well another 60-odd which were slapped later and may qualify to be treated as "fresh evidence"।

While the August 6 relief for SIMI had been immediately challenged by the Centre before the apex court, which ordered a freeze on the tribunal's order, the intervening period has seen the Gujarat police, in coordination with police of various states as well as the Intelligence Bureau unearthing the involvement of the fundamentalist organization in the terror attack on Ahmedabad। That is not all. Investigation into the Ahmedabad blasts have provided strong evidence that SIMI and its hardline version, Indian Mujahideen, was also involved in blasts across the country - serial explosions in Mumbai suburban trains, as well as those in jaipur and in the courts in UP towns of Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.

The involvement of SIMI is suspected also in the bomb attacks on Hyderabad and explosions in the country's tech capital, Bangalore.