Indian police arrest ex minister over murder

New Delhi, India (AHN) - Indian police have arrested former Gujarat Minister of State for Home Amit Shah in connection of killing a Muslim man, accused of plotting to assassinate state Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in a fake encounter in 2005.


Shah, who submitted his resignation to Modi on Saturday amid accusation of kidnapping and murder had been remanded to 13 days in judicial custody after he surrendered to police on Sunday. He will spend this time in Sabarmati Jail, but can appeal for bail.

Meanwhile, Shah denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the charges against him were fabricated and were politically motivated. He even alleged Congress of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation for electoral gain in Gujarat. “For the last 20 years, the Congress has not won even a municipal election in Gujarat. The Gujarat electorate has not accepted them, and they have been comprehensively beaten. This is their only recourse,” he added.

It may be noted that Shah and top three policemen are accused of kidnapping and killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh, a Muslim civilian, while he was traveling with his wife by a bus in November 2005. The Modi government later admitted that his wife, Kausar Bai, who went missing, was also killed.

Shah and his aides claimed that Sheikh was a member of banned militant group and alleged that he masterminded a plot to murder Modi five years ago – a claim the state police denied and said that they tried to cover up the killing by saying Sheikh belongs to Muslim group.

Explaining why the agency had not looked for police custody for Shah, which could have allowed investigators to easily interrogate him, CBI’s Joint Director P Kandaswamy said, “We have placed the evidence in the chargesheet to show his complicity in the crime. Therefore, at this point of time, his interrogation is not required.”

The CBI has filed a 30,000-page charge sheet against Shah for killing, extortion, kidnapping and other charges under the Indian Penal Code.




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Murder on the Khyber Pass express

The 92,000 American classified military documents released by WikiLeaks add to the evidence that Pakistan's intelligence service backs the Taliban, to the point of helping the Taliban plan assassinations of American and Afghan officials.

This raises the question: Who covered up a scandalous arrangement known to everyone with a casual acquaintance of the situation? The answer is the same as in Agatha Christie's 1934 mystery about murder on the Orient Express, that is, everybody: former United States president George W Bush and vice president Dick Cheney, current US President Barack Obama and Vice



President Joe Biden, India, China and Iran. They are all terrified of facing a failed state with nuclear weapons, and prefer a functioning but treacherous one.

The released papers - described as one of the biggest leaks in US military history - detail military operations between 2004 and 2009. Some of the documents published on July 25 disclose how North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces have killed scores of civilians in unreported incidents in Afghanistan. The documents claim that 195 civilians have been improperly killed and 174 wounded. Many are motorcylists or drivers shot after being suspected of being suicide bombers.

The White House has condemned the publication, saying it threatened the safety of coalition forces, while Pakistan's ambassador to the United States said his country was committed to fighting insurgents. Husain Haqqani called the release "irresponsible", saying it consisted of "unprocessed" reports from the field.

The "everybody" involved in this case seems to exclude whomever actually leaked the documents, presumably some element of the US military, which has to absorb the effect of Pakistan's double game in the region in the form of body bags for enlisted men and shattered reputations for commanders. Like the Rolling Stone magazine interviews that led to the firing of General Stanley McChrystal, the America commander in Afghanistan, the WikiLeaks documents suggest a degree of disaffection of the American military with civilian leaders deeper than anything in living memory.

To exit the Afghan quagmire in a less than humiliating fashion, the United States requires Pakistani help to persuade the Taliban not to take immediate advantage of the American departure and evoke Vietnam-era scenes of helicopters on the American Embassy roof. The politicians in Washington know they have lost and have conceded to the Taliban a role in a post-American Afghanistan. They can only hope that once the country plunges into chaos, the public will have moved onto other themes, much as it did after the Bill Clinton administration put Kosovo into the hands of a gang of dubious Albanians in 1998.

India does not want America to call Pakistan to account. In the worst case, Pakistan might choose to support the Taliban and other terrorist organizations - including Kashmiri irredentists - openly rather than covertly. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, of whom the Economist on July 25 wrote "the strength of his coalition depends largely on how weak he is as Prime Minister", does not want to confront Pakistan. If Pakistan's support for anti-Indian terrorism became undeniable, India would have to act, and action is the last thing the Congress party-led coalition in New Delhi wants to consider.

China has no interest in destabilization in Pakistan; on the contrary, Beijing lives in fear that radical Islamists in Pakistan might infect its own restive Uyghurs. And Iran, which shares the fractious Balochis with Pakistan on their common border, lives in terror that a destabilized Pakistan would free the Balochis to make trouble.

Balochis comprise little over 2% of Iran's population, but they have demonstrated their talent at bomb-making on several recent occasions, including the bombing this month of a Shi'ite mosque in southeastern Iran in which 28 people were killed and hundreds wounded. Iran has accused Pakistan of sponsoring Balochi terror attacks, but intelligence community sources in Washington insist that the Pakistanis would never be so reckless as to put bombs into Balochi hands.

With 170 million people - more than Russia - and a nuclear arsenal, Pakistan is too big to fail, that is, too big to fail without traumatic consequences for its neighbors. Whether it can be kept from failure is questionable. Half its people live on less than a dollar day, and half are illiterate. It is riven by religious differences - a seventh of Pakistanis are Shi'ite - as well as ethnic ones.

The government's desultory campaign against pro-Taliban elements on the Afghan border comes down to Punjabis killing Pashtuns. To drive the Taliban in earnest out of the Pashto-speaking frontier in the Waziristan tribal areas would risk tearing the country apart. It is also the case that Pakistan wants the Taliban as a bulwark against India. But it is misleading to separate Islamabad's foreign policy objectives from the requirements of domestic cohesion, since irredentist agitation against India is part of the glue that holds together a fractious and fanatical collection of tribes.

Pakistan's claim on the support and forbearance of its neighbors, and its foreign sponsors, the United States and China, is its propensity to fail. American policy still wants to maintain a balance of power between India and Pakistan. That is an act of extreme folly. The longer the regional powers delay a reckoning with Pakistan, the more damaging the outcome. As I wrote in my year-end review last December 29:
There is one great parallel, but also one great difference, between the Balkans on the eve of World War I and the witch's cauldron comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and contiguous territory. The failure of the region's most populous state - in that case the Ottoman Empire, in this case Pakistan - makes shambles out of the power balance, leaving the initiative in the hands of irredentist radicals who threaten to tug their sponsors among the great powers along behind them. But in 1914, both France and Germany thought it more advantageous to fight sooner rather than later. No matter how great the provocation, both India and China want to postpone any major conflict. The problem is that they may promote minor ones. [1]
Given the overwhelming evidence that Pakistan is taking American aid while helping the Taliban kill American soldiers, perhaps by providing its Afghani friends with shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles, the Obama administration has done the only thing it can: deny that the 92,000 documents contain any new information, while insisting that its November 2009 "review" of Afghan war strategy is an appropriate response to the problems detailed in the documents. The Obama administration has a story, and it is sticking to it. The White House stated after the documents were published on July 25:

Blackpool hospital murder horror

A Lancashire nurse was stabbed in a horror attack at a hospital and died in the emergency unit where she worked.

Doctors and nursing colleagues battled in vain to save the life of nurse Jane Clough, 26, after she was stabbed in the chest outside Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Detectives later arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of attacking Jane, 26, in the staff car park outside the hospital at 8.30 on Sunday.

Lancashire police said he was held at an address in Barrowford, near Nelson, at around 7.30am today (MON).

It is thought that Jane may have known the suspect, a paramedic, who was until recently based at the hospital until he was transferred to duties elsewhere.

Two police forensic unit crime scene tents were erected at the car park in Whinney Heys Road, one covering two vehicles parked in residents-only spaces and the other nearby.

Marie Thompson, Director of Nursing at Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the nurse's family, friends and work colleagues at this difficult time."

A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary said; "A man, of no fixed address, was arrested by officers approximately at 7.30am in Barrowford, Nelson.

Det Chief Inspector Neil Esseen, who is leading the investigation, added: "We have launched a murder inquiry following this incident and I would appeal for anyone with information to get in touch with us as a matter of urgency."

English footballer jailed for 25 years

Gavin Grant © Action Images

English footballer jailed for 25 years

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26/07/2010, 12:48

Gavin Grant, a former Millwall and Bradford striker, will serve at least 25 years in prison for his role in the gun murder of an old friend.

Grant was given the sentence at the Old Bailey after being convicted of murdering Leon Labastide, 21, outside his parents' home in 2004.

The 26-year-old had previously been cleared of the murder of Jahmall Moore as a series of shootings scarred a north London estate.

But Grant was charged with Labastide's murder when new witnesses came forward.

Gareth Downie, 25, and Damian Williams, 32, were also jailed for life and given minimum terms of 25 years - Downie for murdering Labastide and Williams for conspiracy to murder.

Grant spent the second half of last season with League Two club Bradford, where he made what look likely to be the final 11 appearances of his career.

Judge Peter Beaumont, said Labastide's murder had been in revenge for a series of "tit-for-tat" shootings.

Labastide's mother, Diane Havill, said in a statement: "Leon was a keen footballer who shared his passion for the game with all who knew him. He loved life.

"His senseless killing by so-called friends who grew up with him has left it hard for me to understand the futility of snatching Leon's future whilst, in the same breath, destroying their own." As Grant was being sentenced at the Old Bailey, a woman shouted from the public gallery: "It's all fixed" and "You are coming out".

Stephen Batten QC, prosecuting, said that many of the people involved in the case had been linked to shootings and drug-dealing on the Stonebridge Park Estate in Harlesden, north-west London.

He told the jury: "Attitudes and standards are different. It is more the law of the jungle than the law of civilised England.

"You will hear about and see people whose behaviour will probably disgust you and make you wonder if there is any hope for the human race."

The jury heard that trouble started with a burglary in which three women were terrorised and it was suspected that £20,000 in drug money was taken.

A 16-year-old girl, who had been in the house, gave evidence under an assumed name in the trial.

It was rumoured that Labastide was behind the burglary and Williams arranged for Grant and Downie to shoot him.

Criminal Analysis at IPSG

The Criminal Analysis Sub-directorate (CAS), part of the Specialized Crime and Analysis Directorate provides analytical support to units in the General Secretariat and on request to member countries.

CAS currently has 11 Criminal Intelligence Analysts based at the General Secretariat in Lyon, France, as well as 3 analysts based in Sub Regional Bureaus (currently Buenos Aires, San Salvador and LoBang).

The staff, a mix of both seconded officers and under-contract staff currently comprised of eleven nationalities, allow for the unit to draw on a wide range of experience, contacts and languages.

The unit currently provides three main Analytical services: Operational Analytical support, Strategic Analysis and Risk Assessments as well as Training and Consultancy in Analytical matters.

The unit, working in close co-operation with the other Specialized Crime Units provides analytical support for INTERPOL 5 Priority crime areas working with member countries on specific assessments.

Criminal Intelligence Analysis

Criminal Intelligence Analysis (sometimes called Crime Analysis) has been recognized by law enforcement as a useful support tool for over twenty-five years and is successfully used within the international community. Within the last decade, the role and position of Criminal Intelligence Analysis in the global law enforcement community has fundamentally changed. Whereas previously there were a few key countries acting as forerunners and promoters of the discipline, more and more countries have implemented analytical techniques within their police forces. International organisations, such as INTERPOL, Europol and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), all have Criminal Intelligence Analysts among their personnel. The techniques are also widely used within private sector organizations.

There are many definitions of Criminal Intelligence Analysis in use throughout the world. The one definition agreed in June 1992 by an international group of twelve European INTERPOL member countries and subsequently adopted by other countries is as follows:

'The identification of and provision of insight into the relationship between crime data and other potentially relevant data with a view to police and judicial practice'.

The central task of Analysis is to help officials - law enforcers, policy makers, and decision makers - deal more effectively with uncertainty, to provide timely warning of threats, and to support operational activity by analysing crime.

Criminal Intelligence Analysis is divided into operational (or tactical) and strategic analysis. The basic skills required are similar, and the difference lies in the level of detail and the type of client to whom the products are aimed. Operational Analysis aims to achieve a specific law enforcement outcome. This might be arrests, seizure or forfeiture of assets or money gained from criminal activities, or the disruption of a criminal group. Operational Analysis usually has a more immediate benefit. Strategic Analysis is intended to inform higher level decision making and the benefits are realised over the longer term. It is usually aimed at managers and policy-makers rather than individual investigators. The intention is to provide early warning of threats and to support senior decision-makers in setting priorities to prepare their organizations to be able to deal with emerging criminal issues. This might mean allocating resources to different areas of crime, increased training in a crime fighting technique, or taking steps to close a loophole in a process.

Both disciplines make use of a range of analytical techniques and Analysts need to have a range of skills and attributes.

fight crime

In today`s world there is considerable debate over what the role of police officers should be. Some believe that the main role of the police is to fight crime. Others perceive the role to encompass service to society beyond simply maintaining law and order, to include contributing to efforts dealing with the underlying causes of crime.



Policing in Africa has many challenges which can lead police officers to be skeptical or even cynical about their effectiveness and role. There are a number of factors that contribute to this.



Depressing socio-economic conditions and growing criminality in urban areas demoralize police officers. Many of the situations they experience cause them to lose faith in others and, as a result, develop an “us versus them” outlook. As a consequence, police officers socialize with fewer and fewer people outside law enforcement circles, and in some cases even gradually withdraw from their families and friends. This slow withdrawal from society tends to lead them into states of confusion, alienation, apathy and frustration.



When an ineffective justice system allows criminals to go free, enthusiastic police officers feel betrayed and victimized by what they see as a miscarriage of justice. Police officers become distrustful of the justice system. Naturally they dread such an outcome believing that they could be victimized by the criminals whom they brought into custody.



Despite holding office as a result of the democratic process of holding elections, many African governments lack real acceptance by their people, and hence face a deficit in legitimacy. This results in a widespread public perception of police officers as tools of an authoritarian and even repressive state. Such public attitudes impact on the morale of the police officers, distracting them from pursuing their main objectives. This can also lead to mistrust of the public at large. Instead of developing an attitude of pride in their role as public protectors, police officers lose their self-esteem.



The public expects a 24 hour police service every day and night, year in and year out. The police in Africa, however, are poorly paid. The law enforcement profession is not highly regarded, even in comparison to service in the armed forces, and therefore does not attract the most promising candidates. Furthermore, working conditions leave a great deal to be desired. Rarely considered as a priority by African governments, police budgets are not adequate and facilities are in many cases in very poor condition, and have been for decades. To expect the police to be up to the task under such circumstances is like expecting a miracle. Governments need to invest in the police if they want to see results.



As if all this were not enough, African police services are often badly administered. Occupational stagnation, high levels of nepotism, and the prevalence of corruption are exacerbating the problems faced by the police in many parts of Africa.



Given these circumstances, it is difficult to imagine that what peace and stability that does exist in today`s Africa is a direct result of effective policing. Most societies are simply policing themselves and responding to crime as communities, in some cases giving summary justice on the spot. This is not the direction things should go in modernizing African societies. The growth of cynicism in the police forces is not an encouraging sign. Cynicism robs the profession of the very value needed to accomplish its goal. Each time it creates a negative contact with a citizen or impinges on professionalism and productivity among the ranks, cynicism impacts on police officers in Africa.



What is to be done?



Many of the problems faced by the police forces in African countries reflect a general malaise in the societies of those countries. It is not just the police that are dysfunctional. Institutions across the country are not working properly. Only wide-ranging and penetrating reform in governance and state administration can hope to have a sustainable impact on the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies on the continent. Many hope that the winds of change now blowing across Africa will also transform the way in which African governments interact with their people. If this happens, then that transformation will also positively influence African police services.



But this is not to say that Africans should wait until the big reforms come our way. Forward thinking leaders should surround themselves with change agents and embark on a sustainable initiative to transform the police. Nothing less than a reorientation leading to behavioral change is required. Such a campaign, if successful, would result in a force whose members show meaningful commitment to the ideals of honesty, fairness, justice, courage, integrity, loyalty, and compassion. This must be supported with better recruitment, continuous training, mentoring and peer counseling, positive recognition, empowerment, and community policing to turn the situation around. Civic society groups and professional associations should also play a role in pressing countries to move in the direction of building police forces worthy of the name.