Russia, China defend exercises
Vladivostok, Russia China and Russia sought to reassure a wary region Thursday that the aim of their first-ever joint military exercises was peaceful, as both countries face mutual concerns about terrorism and extremism in Central Asia.
The war games launched Thursday will practice coordinating a joint force that culminates in a mock invasion next week on China’s Shandong peninsula in the Yellow Sea – using thousands of air, sea and land forces to simulate a mission stabilizing a restive country.
Today, commanders for both militaries began the practical phase of the exercises, coordinating the creation of a combined unit that will stage a landing on a Chinese peninsula to practice stabilizing a fictional country.
The generals repeatedly stressed at a news conference that the drills weren’t intended to be a show of intimidation.
“The goal is peaceful,” Russian Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky said.
Chinese Gen. Liang Guanglie denied the moves to strengthen ties between Beijing and Moscow would lead to some kind of military union or the two countries fighting together against a common foe.
The exercises “are being run under the goals and principles of the U.N., and are not directed against a third country and don’t concern the interests of other countries,” Liang said.
Deputy won’t testify against Saddam
Amman, Jordan Saddam Hussein’s deputy Tariq Aziz has refused to testify against the former Iraqi leader at his trial, Aziz’s lawyer said.
Badee Izzat Aref said that Aziz, the only Christian in Iraq’s former Baath Party leadership, was asked to appear in court as a witness for the prosecution but refused.
Aziz “has had many tempting offers to switch from being an accused to being a witness,” Aref said Wednesday, a day after he met with Aziz. Aref was not available for comment on Thursday.
Aziz was allegedly involved in several party purges in the 1970s and 80s during which an unspecified number of people died. Along with 10 other senior aides, Aziz and Saddam remain in U.S. custody and are expected to be brought to trial soon.
Nations urge Jan. 27 to mark Holocaust
United Nations The United States and several other nations have asked the United Nations to designate Jan. 27 as an annual day to remember the six million Jews and the countless others who perished in the World War II Nazi Holocaust.
A letter from the nations, which also included Russia, Israel, Australia and Canada, circulated Thursday requests the General Assembly to add the proposal to its agenda, noting that this year’s 60th anniversary of the United Nations coincides with the 60th year of the end of the war.
“The Holocaust constituted a systematic and barbarous attempt to annihilate an entire people, in a manner and magnitude that have no parallel in human history,” the five countries said.
Since the United Nations was founded on the ashes of the Holocaust with a commitment to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” it bears a special responsibility “to ensure that the Holocaust and its lessons are never forgotten and that this tragedy will forever serve as a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice,” their letter said.