8 theSun | WEDNESDAY APRIL 29 2009

news without borders

Low-flying White House plane scares New Yorkers

NEW YORK: One of President Barack
Obama’s official planes flanked by
an Air Force fighter jet flew low over
the Statue of Liberty on Monday for
a photo opportunity that reminded
startled New Yorkers of the Sept 11
attacks.
The White House Military Office
apologised for the mission, which
infuriated New York City officials and
prompted hundreds of financial profes-
sionals to flee their office buildings.
New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg criticised the federal gov-
ernment and his own administration
for failing to warn the public, which
was shocked by the image of a jumbo
jet flanked by an F-16 flying near the
World Trade Centre site.
“The good news is it was nothing
more than an inconsiderate, badly
conceived and insensitive photo op
with the taxpayers’ money,” Bloomb-
erg told reporters.
“They should know how sensitive
people would be if they had low-flying
planes down around the World Trade
Centre site,” said Bloomberg, adding
that he was “furious.”
New Yorkers remain sensitive to
any incident evocative of the 2001 at-
tacks, which involved hijacked airliners
that destroyed the Twin Towers of the
World Trade Centre.
The US Air Force said the “aerial responsibility for the decision. Employees at the New York Mercan-
photo mission” involved an F-16 fighter “While federal authorities took the tile Exchange, Goldman Sachs, Merrill
jet escort and one of the Boeing 747s proper steps to notify state and local Lynch and other institutions evacuated
designated as Air Force One when authorities in New York and New Jer- their buildings, and hundreds of others
the president is aboard, which he was sey, it’s clear that the mission created called the 911 emergency response
not. Police and the Federal Aviation confusion and disruption. I apologise line, City Councilman Daniel Garodnick
Administration said three aircraft were and take responsibility for any distress wrote in a letter of complaint to the
approved for the mission. that flight caused,” Caldera said. FAA. – Reuters
Police said federal authorities told
them not to disclose the information
and to direct any inquiries to the FAA.
Bloomberg blamed a breakdown in
City Hall communications, saying he
would have protested had he known
in advance. Louis Caldera, director of
the White House Military Office, said
he approved the mission and took

‘Civilian areas
COLOMBO: A pro-Tamil Tiger website Tues-
day accused Sri Lankan government forces of
continuing to pound civilians trapped in rebel-
held territory despite a pledge to stop using
heavy weapons. The military immediately de-
nied the allegation, but confirmed it was trying killed and another 14,000 wounded in the
o capture more territory and free the civilians government’s offensive this year.

under fire in Sri Lanka’

it says are being held as human shields by the
outnumbered and encircled rebels.
“There was heavy mortar fire from many
directions,” Tamilnet reported, adding that 139
people were wounded in attacks on Monday
evening – hours after President Mahinda
Rajapakse’s office pledged that air strikes and
attacks using heavy-calibre weapons would
stop.
Sri Lankan military spokesman Brigadier
Udaya Nanayakkara said fighting was continu-
ing – despite international calls for a ceasefire to
spare civilian lives – but denied the army was
firing indiscriminately.
“We did not shell the area. We have not used
heavy weapons against civilian areas even be-
fore,” he said. “But ground operations to capture
territory and rescue civilians will continue.”
The defence ministry said troops were ad-
vancing, after another layer of rebel defences
– leaving the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) with just six sq km of land. “The earth
bunds (embankments) were heavily mined,
made to restrict both flow of the remaining hos-
tages and military advances,” the ministry said.
On Monday, the United Nations’ top humanitar-
ian official John Holmes welcomed Colombo’s
promise to scale down its assault but said he
was disturbed by reports of continued shell-
ing. “I hope the government declaration will
be genuinely respected this time,” Holmes
said. “It has not happened in the past.”
A United Nations document circulated
among diplomats in Colombo last week said
as many as 6,500 civilians may have been
The United Nations estimates that some
50,000 non-combatants are still trapped in the
conflict area, while the government maintains
that the number is fewer than 20,000.
The Sri Lankan government says its forces
have cornered the Tamil Tigers in a small
patch of coastal territory in the district of Mul-
laittivu, but has come under pressure over its
conduct of the war. Holmes left Colombo late
Monday having failed to secure an agreement
from the Sri Lankan government to open up
the conflict area for humanitarian aid and
relief workers. He also said the UN was press-
ing the government to ensure that the civilians
are held in camps in line with international
standards and allowed freedom of movement
which is currently denied to them. – AFP

Holmes (right) chats to Internally

Displaced Persons (IDPs) given
shelter at a government centre
at Menik Farm in Vavuniya, north

EPAPIX
of Colombo on Monday.

However, no major damage was reported,

according to Mexico City Civil Protection au-
briefs thorities. The epicentre of the quake was near
the Pacific coast in the Mexican state of Guer-
rero, about 300km fro Mexico City. – dpa

Man kills mom over Sheriff jailed for

TV remote control
TAIPEI: A Taiwan man accidentally killed his
mother when they were fighting for the television
remote control, a newspaper said yesterday. The
incident occurred on Saturday in Nantou City,
central Taiwan the Apple Daily said.
Su Peng-sheng, 43, was watching television at
home with his mother, Hsiao Ching-chou, 64. While
he wanted to watch a documentary, his mother
insisted on watching the news. In the ensuing quar-
rel Su’s mother grabbed a wooden stick to hit him.
Su pushed his mother, causing her head first to hit
the wall and then the corner of a table. The son
rushed his bleeding mother to hospital, where she
died. Su was charged with homicide. – dpa
Earthquake of 5.7 strength
shakes Mexico
MEXICO CITY: An earthquake rated at 5.7
strength shook the capital Mexico City on
Monday, sending thousands of people running
out of office buildings and restaurants.
witness tampering
LOS ANGELES: A senior California law enforce-
ment officer convicted for witness tampering was
jailed for five-and-a-half years, justice officials said
on Monday.
Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona was
cleared of corruption charges in January after
prosecutors alleged he received hundreds of
thousands of dollars in cash and gifts in exchange
for favours including job appointments.
However he was found guilty of one count of
felony witness tampering. – AFP
Spanish navy arrests pirates
MADRID: The Spanish frigate Numancia in-
tercepted and arrested nine alleged pirates
suspected of attacking the Italian cruise ship
MS Melody, media reports said.
A French and an Indian warship, as well as
a helicopter and two surveillance planes also
participated in the operation, which took place
on Sunday north of the Seychelles. – dpa