Page 9 - atoday sept 24

WORLD NEWS 9
Egypt buys 2 warships from France, 2nd big military purchase
LORI HINNANT
SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press
PARIS (AP) — Egypt has
agreed to buy two as-
sault ships from France,
the French government
said Wednesday, dramati-
cally increasing its capa-
bilities on- and off-shore as
the country tries to assume
a more prominent role
against Islamic State mili-
tants.
The assault ships, which can
US-trained Syrian rebels investigating alleged defection
SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press
BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-trained
rebels who recently re-
turned to Syria said
Wednesday they have lost
contact with one of their
officers and that they are
investigating reports that
he defected and handed
over his weapons to al-Qai-
da’s branch in the country.
The U.S. military said it had
no indication that any U.S.-
trained fighters have de-
fected.
The allegations come only
days after the group of
about 70 rebels returned to
Syria after training in Turkey
as part of the U.S. program
to train and equip rebels to
take part in the fight against
the Islamic State group.
Defection among the ranks
of U.S.-trained rebels would
be an embarrassment to
the program, which has al-
ready been criticized as of-
fering too little too late and
Bangladesh says it meets US factory safety conditions
JULHAS ALAM
Associated Press
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP)
— Bangladesh said it has
met the conditions put for-
ward by the United States
for better safety and work-
ers’ rights in its factories
that were essential to re-
gain preferential trade sta-
tus the impoverished South
Asian nation lost in 2013 af-
ter two disasters killed 1,500 met. It has so far shut down
garment workers.
The preferential trade sta-
tus does not cover Bangla-
desh’s influential garment
industry, which helps the
country earn $25 billion an-
Thursday 24 September

each carry 16 helicopter France agreed to refund but the country has turned “France will assure deliv-
gunships, 700 troops and 950 million euros ($1 bil- more recently toward ery of these boats while
up to 50 armored vehicles, lion) already paid by Rus- Western arms purchases, losing nothing, and by do-
were originally intended for sia. France didn’t say how with France taking a lead- ing so protecting Egypt,”
Russia. France continued much Egypt has agreed ing role. Egypt bought 24 Hollande said. He noted
building to Russia’s specifi- to pay, but denied losing advanced fighter jets from French military coopera-
cations — including stencil- money. A military official France earlier this year for tion with Egypt and Egypt’s
ing Cyrillic writing through- who was not authorized to nearly $6 billion, as it sought “important role” in the Mid-
out the vessels — until the speak publicly about the international help to bomb dle East.
deal finally fell apart be- deal said Egypt would pay IS targets. He said el-Sissi underscored
cause of the Ukraine crisis. 950 million euros ($1 billion) President Francois Hollande the role of the Suez Canal
It was originally supposed for both ships, which will be said he and Egyptian Presi- and “how important it is for
to be the biggest arms sale delivered next March. dent Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi Europe, for the Middle East,
ever by a NATO country to Russia had traditionally closed the deal Tuesday for trade that the Suez Ca-
Russia. supplied Egypt’s military, after several weeks of talks. nal be protected.”q

failing to provide enough ting process to ensure they cluding suggesting that the anti-Islamic State forces.
protection for those trained focus on the fight against newly trained fighters oper- The U.S. Central Command
confirmed Monday the
Fighters from Syria’s al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front gather around a Syrian government forces air- graduates have re-entered
craft, inside the Abu Zuhour air base, in Idlib province, north Syria. After a two-year siege, al- Syria with their weapons
Qaida’s affiliate in Syria and other insurgents on Wednesday captured the one remaining Syrian and equipment and were
army air base in Idlib province. to operate alongside exist-
ing western-allied forces.
(Al-Nusra Front social media account via AP) In a new statement
Wednesday, it said it had
rebels once inside Syria. The the IS. ate as the New Syrian Forc- no indication that any New
Syrian Forces fighters have
selected rebels are said to U.S. officials have begun an es, or NSF, alongside Syrian defected to the al-Qaida
branch in Syria, the Nusra
undergo a thorough vet- overhaul of the efforts, in- Kurds, Sunni Arab and other Front, contrary to several
press and social media re-
ports. “Additionally, all Co-
alition-issued weapons and
equipment are under the
positive control of NSF fight-
ers,” it said. Navy Capt. Jeff
Davis, a Pentagon spokes-
man, said any accounts of
a defection are “patently
false.” He said the U.S. is
in contact with the latest
group of trainees and as
of Wednesday, all of them
and their weapons were
accounted for. q

nually and mainly exports number of factory inspec- changes to legal docu- The team also expressed
to the United States and tors and settled many crim- ments allowing for wider concern about the al-
Europe. But Dhaka has long inal cases against trade workers’ rights. leged harassment of the
lobbied for its garment in- union leaders who said Michael J. Delaney, assis- union leaders. “We have
dustry to have duty-free the charges were meant tant U.S. trade representa- also heard continuing con-
access to the United States to silence them. Some 500 tive, gave guarded appre- cerns about the protection
and the lost status was seen factory-based trade unions ciation of the progress. of unions from harassment.
as a big blow to that goal. have been registered and “We saw very good prog- We want to work with the
The government said in its workers’ welfare associa- ress initially on union reg- government to ensure that
statement late Tuesday tions have been formed in istrations, with an unprec- the Ministry of Labor has the
that all of the 16 conditions special export zones. edented number of unions capacity to address these
set by the U.S. have been A delegation of the U.S. successfully registering. allegations and to ensure
Trade Representative’s of- Now however, there seems unions’ rights and responsi-
some 364 apparel units fice praised the progress to be slowing in this area, bilities under the law,’ Del-
for lack of sufficient safety but also found shortcom- with an increasing number aney said. Delaney said it
measures. It has amended ings. The delegation is vis- of union registrations being would be crucial that Ban-
labor laws, enacting new iting Bangladesh to review denied,” Delaney said in gladesh is prepared to take
rules for allowing workers to improvements in safety remarks shared by the U.S. on “increased regulatory
form unions, increased the standards at factories and Embassy in Dhaka. responsibilities.” q