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US-Colombia military deal to be signed this week: minister
Washington (AFP) Oct 27, 2009 Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva said Tuesday that a deal giving the US military access to Colombian bases will be signed at the end of the week. The accord, which has led to howls of protest in several South American capitals, "will be signed when I return to Bogota at the end of the week," Silva told journalists during a visit to Washington. "It is possible" the signing will be as early as Friday, he added. Under the deal, Colombia has pledged to allow the United States, its closest ally, to use seven bases for help in fighting insurgencies and drug traffickers. Several countries in the region -- notably Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia -- have objected, claiming the planned US military deployment is suspiciously large for its stated purpose. US officials have repeatedly insisted that the deal involves using Colombian bases and will not lead to the building of US facilities on South American soil, as some critics of the plans fear. Tensions have flared in Latin America since the deal emerged, with Venezuelan Hugo Chavez warning that "winds of war" were blowing across the continent. Fears of an arms race in the region were raised further last month when Caracas purchased Russian military hardware worth four billion dollars. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Gurkhas in fresh court battle over British army pensionsLondon (AFP) Oct 26, 2009 Veteran Gurkha soldiers from Nepal are launching another court battle against the British government Tuesday -- this time over pension rights. The British Gurkha Welfare Society is taking action at London's High Court because it says around 24,000 veterans and dependants who served in the British army before 1997 receive only a third of the normal payments. In May, all Gurkha veterans ... read more |
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