The US lifted key sanctions against Pakistan and India imposed over the nations' nuclear weapons programs, apparently in appreciation of their help in the fight against terrorism.
Pakistan's help could be particularly important if the US carries out an attack against neighboring Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden -- named as the prime suspect in the devastating Sept. 11 attacks against America -- has taken refuge.
Despite anti-American sentiment in the country, Pakistan agreed last week to share military intelligence with the US, permit its airspace to be used by American military aircraft, and to provide US access to military facilities. These commitments could enable the US to use Pakistan in any assault on bin Laden.
The sanctions lifted Saturday barred economic and military assistance to the two countries. President George W. Bush said in a statement Saturday that maintaining the sanctions "would not be in the national security interests of the United States."
Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's ambassador to the US praised the move, saying it "will enable Pakistan to get economic aid and it's a very important development."
A senior Pakistani official said Bush's decision lifts restrictions on military sales to Pakistan and makes the country eligible for new economic aid. It does not apply to sanctions imposed after the 1999 Pakistani military takeover, meaning Pakistan is still ineligible for US loans and is prohibited from sending soldiers to America for training, the official said on condition of anonymity.
The move came as an American military delegation headed to Pakistan this weekend for consultations on US preparations for a military strike against Afghanistan.
The US delegation, drawn from the military and the Defense Department, will meet early in the week with their Pakistani counterparts, a senior Bush administration official said Saturday.
US officials said on Saturday they were pleased with cooperation from Saudi Arabia and Turkey as American military forces moved to position themselves for a possible military strike against Afghanistan.
Air Force Lieutenant General Charles Wald, commander of US Central Command's air component, has shifted operations to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where he could plan and direct air attacks against Afghanistan and other possible targets in the region.
Having Saudi Arabia in the US camp may help counter sentiment in the Arab world against Bush's campaign. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, consulted with Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell last week, and US officials said the kingdom was cooperating with US requests.
A senior Saudi official, however, cautioned that the kingdom and other Arab countries did not want to be thrust into a conflict.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)