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*WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange accuses US of"""" '"ilegals"
Spending his first day as a free man after nine days in prison, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday accused America of conducting an “aggressive'' and “illegal'' investigation into his activities and said he had heard reports that a “secret indictment'' had already been made against him on grounds of espionage. It was significant that these reports had not been contradicted by American authorities, he said.

“The big risk is onwards extradition to the U.S. and that seems to be increasingly serious and increasingly likely. We have heard reports that a secret indictment has been made against me in the U.S. Senior legal figures say it is approximately 80 per cent likely and principal figures who would be responsible for such an indictment are refusing to comment which is normal in the case of secret indictments,” he told reporters. In a BBC interview, Mr Assange said he feared there would be more attempts to “smear'' him to force his extradition to Sweden where he faces allegations of sexual assault brought on by two women.

* China  and North Korea force update in Japanese military
Japan on Friday expressed new “concern” over the “military modernisation by China” and unveiled plans to “build a dynamic defence force” to face this “security environment”.

In a coded language that unmistakably portrayed China as Japan's new threat, the Cabinet approved “national defence programme guidelines” for 10 years from 2011. A new “priority” would be the “enhancement of force disposition in southwest Japan” close to China.

The guidelines acquired unusual importance in the context of recent tensions between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

A summary of the guidelines, released by the Defence Ministry in Tokyo, projected the transformation of Japan's self-defence forces as an indigenous effort at “increasing the credibility of deterrent capability.”

Japan would also seek to “further enhance and develop [its] indispensable alliance with the United States”.

Outlining a third dimension of military preparedness, the guidelines spelt out “enhanced security cooperation with countries such as the Republic of Korea, Australia, Asean countries, and India”. Such a plan was described as “multi-layered security cooperation”.

Portraying the proposed China-focussed defence posture as the centrepiece of a shift from Japan “Cold War-style” policies, the guidelines emphasised that Beijing's “insufficient transparency” on military matters was of “concern to the regional and global community” and not just Tokyo.

The rise of China and other emerging powers, compounded by a “relative change in the U.S. influence,” had now brought about a worldwide shift in the balance of forces.

In this ambience, “North Korea's nuclear and missile issues are an immediate and grave destabilising factor.”


*Pakistan Army is also involved for Mumbai attack.(india told it)


New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Pakistan Army was involved in the Mumbai  terrorist attack, India's National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon told the US, according to fresh US embassy cables leaked by WikiLeaks.

'Let's not insult one another by telling a story that the Pakistan Army was not involved' with the Lashkar-e-Taiba group that carried out the 2008 attack, Menon told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.
A US cable reproduced by The Guardian said that Boucher met Menon just weeks after the Mumbai attack that left 166 people dead and ignited fears of an India-Pakistan war.

'The two men were in full agreement on the need to ensure that Pakistan eliminate Laskhar-e-Taiba but disagreed on some tactics,' said the cable reporting the meeting.

The cable quoted Menon as bluntly telling Boucher: 'Let's not insult one another by telling a story that the Pakistan army was not involved ... They're either unwilling to take action, or incapable, or both; any way you look at it, they're involved.'

'Boucher urged Menon to `tone down' the Indian rhetoric and avoid any military movements that could be misinterpreted.

'Menon defended India's strategy of publicly pressuring Pakistan's security services, saying they had not yet made the strategic decision to cut ties with Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the civilian government was powerless to force this change.'

Ten terrorists from Pakistan sneaked into Mumbai and went on a killing spree over three days in November 2008.




*Militants die as hotel siege ends in Indian-Jamu Kashmir

 
Security forces stormed a hotel in Indian-administered Kashmir killing two gunmen and ending a stand-off that lasted almost 24 hours, officials say.

The gunmen launched their grenade and gun attack in Srinagar on Wednesday killing a civilian and a policeman.

They subsequently entered a hotel in the city's Lal Chowk area and exchanged fire with security forces.

This is the first major militant attack in Srinagar in two years. Violence there has declined in recent years.

Officials said that one of the gunmen belonged to the banned Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

But there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack so far.

The police chief of Jammu and Kashmir state Kuldeep Khoda told reporters that the "operation was over" with the killing of the two militants.

He said the security forces had killed the two gunmen - and that the second one was shot while trying to escape the hotel building after setting fire to it.

"We are trying to find out whether there are any more terrorists inside. We will be launching combing operations in the area soon," Mr Khoda said.

He said security forces had evacuated a number of people from the area since the stand-off began on Wednesday afternoon.

The attack took place in the city's historic Lal Chowk or Red Square area.

The BBC's Altaf Hussain in Srinagar says that there was a heavy exchange of fire between the security forces and the gunmen early on Thursday morning as the stand-off continued.

The security forces also rescued 10 people from a neighbouring hotel in what is a crowded business district in the city, our correspondent says.

India and Pakistan declared a ceasefire in 2004, but suspended peace talks after the 2008 Mumbai (Bombay) attacks, which India blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

Separately, at least three Pakistani soldiers were killed and 11 injured in a suicide bombing outside an army barracks in Pakistani-administered Kashmir on Wednesday.

No group has claimed the attack near the town of Rawalakot. It follows a number of recent attacks on Shia Muslims and the security forces.


*Obama urges US Senate to pass new treaty
 
 President Barack Obama has renewed his call for US senators to ratify an arms control treaty with Russia before the Democratic-led Congress breaks up.

In his weekly address, Mr Obama said the "safety and security of America" was at stake.

The US and Russian presidents signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) in April, but ratification has been delayed by disagreements.

The treaty requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate to become law.

That means that the Democrats need two independents and a number of Republicans to vote in favour of ratification.

Some Republicans had tried to delay the debate on ratification until January, when a new-look Congress will include more Republican senators.

The treaty is a key part of Mr Obama's efforts to "reset" relations with Russia.

But Republicans have raised a number of concerns, including whether the treaty would allow the modernisation of America's nuclear arsenal.

One senior Republican, Senator Kit Bond, said the treaty would give "essentially a vote on our missile defence decisions".
Warhead reduction

Speaking the day after he signed into law an extension to wide-ranging tax cuts passed by his predecessor, President George W Bush, Mr Obama appealed to the Senate to put aside partisan differences and ratify the treaty.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
Barack Obama

    Every minute we drag our feet is a minute that we have no inspectors on the ground at those Russian nuclear sites”

End Quote Barack Obama US President

"We'll risk undermining American leadership not only on nuclear proliferation, but a host of other challenges around the world," Mr Obama said of the potential impact of a failure to pass the treaty.

The terms of the new treaty would restrict each nation to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads - a cut of about 30% from a limit set eight years ago.

The treaty would limit to 700 the number of deployed ballistic missiles or nuclear bombers.

It would also establish a new mechanism for sending inspectors to the other country's nuclear sites.

Since the previous Start treaty expired in December 2009, Russia and the US have not been able to conduct inspections of each other's nuclear stockpiles - leading to uncertainty about what the other side is doing.

"Every minute we drag our feet is a minute that we have no inspectors on the ground at those Russian nuclear sites," Mr Obama said in his address, adding: "It's time to get this done."

Republicans have raised a number of concerns, including whether the treaty would allow the modernisation of America's nuclear arsenal.

Senator Kit Bond, the most senior Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, condemned the treaty as "giving Russia essentially a vote on our missile defence decisions".


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