'RP can thwart terrorist attack'
'RP can thwart terrorist attack'
PHILIPPINES: The Philippines is capable of preventing terrorist
attacks by the Southeast Asian militant network Jamaah Islamiyah
(JI) or other groups, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on
Friday after Australia warned that the country faces the region's
greatest terror threat.
"The Philippines is an open target. But we would like to
assure everyone that we are ready to thwart any plan of JI or any
other terrorist group," Arroyo said in a statement.
"Potential targets have already been secured and hardened and
we will continuously keep up with emerging intelligence
assessments."
On Thursday, Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill told a
security conference that the Philippines and its capital, Manila,
face the greatest threat of attack by the al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah
Islamiyah.
While Australia and Southeast Asia remain targets, the group
"could turn its attention more resolutely" to attacks in the
Philippines, Hill said.
Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez reacted
angrily to Hill's statement.
"Instead of Minister Hill giving a speech, he should have
shared his information with us," he said. -- AP
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ANPAu..r..
ATW-Vietnam-corruption
Vietnam charges officials for graft
JP/11/ASEAN
Hanoi charges officials with graft
VIETNAM: Vietnam has charged two vice ministers of agriculture
for irresponsibility in a corruption case that caused losses of
US$7.48 million to the government, state media reported on
Friday.
The official Hanoi Moi (New Hanoi) daily said state
prosecutors have pressed charges against former vice ministers
Nguyen Thien Luan and Nguyen Quang Ha for causing state property
losses.
Prosecutors accused Luan and Ha along with another six
government employees in a corruption case centered on La Thi Kim
Oanh, 48. The six were charged with embezzlement of state
property, abusing power and irresponsibility.
In March state media cited police investigation reports as
saying Oanh, director of an agriculture ministry-run company, and
accomplices used bank loans for bribery and personal expenses,
resulting in total losses of $7.48 million to the state.
Police reports say Ha and Luan signed various documents which
helped Oanh obtain bank loans.
If found guilty, the two could be jailed for up to 12 years.
-- Reuters
;REUTERS;
ANPAu..r..
ATW-Arms-Singapore
Progress in S'pore warplane deal
JP/11/ASEAN
Progress in S'pore warplane deal
SINGAPORE: Singapore shortlisted Eurofighter, France's Dassault
and U.S. firm Boeing on Friday for what is expected to be an
influential warplane order worth more than US$1 billion.
The decision was a blow to rivals Lockheed Martin Corp. of the
United States and Sukhoi of Russia, which were excluded from
bidding for the order for about 20 planes, expected to be awarded
within a year.
The shortlisting of Dassault Aviation SA was particularly
important for that company, analysts said.
A Ministry of Defense official confirmed the decision,
revealed earlier to Reuters by a source involved in the program.
"The shortlist decision was based on a detailed framework that
looks at all aspects pertinent to our requirements, including
operational performance, logistics supportability, total life-
cycle costs and growth potential," ministry spokeswoman Lee May
Lin told Reuters.
Eurofighter GmbH. is a consortium of Britain's BAE Systems
Plc, European Aeronautic Defense & Space Co. NV. of Germany and
France and Finmeccanica SpA of Italy.
Since Dassault's Rafale has failed to win any export
competitions against the Eurofighter Typhoon, analysts have
identified the Singapore order as crucial to the French firm.
"Singapore has the characteristics of a must-win contract for
the Rafale, so making the shortlist is clearly a major relief for
Dassault," said Goldman Sachs analyst Sash Tusa in London. --
Reuters