Nation and States  

Indian tipped to head UN 
mission in Iraq


What is India News Service, 03 July 2004, 1700 hrs IST

Former foreign secretary Salman Haider is a front-runner among diplomats shortlisted to head the new UN mission in Iraq. 

No decision has yet been made although one is expected shortly, UN associate spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Kofi Annan was to have chosen a special
representative by Friday but the announcement was delayed because of his travels. Diplomats also said some candidates had refused because of the precarious
safety situation in Iraq. As a frequent commentator on international affairs, Haider has been critical of the US-led invasion of Iraq. 

Haider, a Cambridge-educated Muslim, was India's foreign secretary from 1995 to 1997, a post equivalent to a deputy foreign minister. He served briefly as India's high commissioner, or ambassador, to Britain in 1998 before retiring from the diplomatic service. 

The diplomats gave credence to Haider's candidacy after he was interviewed by Annan in Qatar last week and visited UN headquarters in New York this week. 

Militant attack: Seven policemen were killed and three injured at Sangam Bhatti in Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir Friday afternoon when militants detonated an
improvised explosive device. 

President may reject mercy plea: The fate of Dhananjoy Chatterjee, sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Kolkata, looks sealed, with the
union home ministry advising president Abdul Kalam to reject his plea for clemency. 

Monsoon delay: The much-awaited arrival of the monsoon in Delhi and other parts of north India may be further delayed, senior officials of the India Meteorological
Department said. 

Airport strike: Employees and officers of the Airports Authority of India today staged demonstrations at major airports in the country protesting against privatisation of the Mumbai and Delhi airports, but flights and other operations remained unaffected.

Science panel: After a gap of 15 years, the centre is all set to reconstitute the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister (SAC-PM).

\93We are formulating the SAC-PM and hope to complete the process in a month. We will announce the name of its chairman and other members at that time,\94 union
science minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in Delhi on Friday. 

Heritage list: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Station (formerly Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai and the Champaner-Pravagadh Archaeological Park in Gujarat are among the 13 new international sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Overall:

Indian may head UN mission in Iraq: Salman Haider, former foreign secretary, is a likely candidate.

Policemen killed: Militants detonated a bomb and killed seven policemen in Jammu.

President was advised against clemency: The home ministry gave the thumbs down to the mercy plea of a man convicted of rape and murder of a minor girl.

Airport employees protested: They said they were opposed to the privatisation of the Mumbai and Delhi airports.