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World Media Watch
by Gloria R. Lalumia
BUZZFLASH NOTE: Once again, these are the views and perspectives of the individual papers, not of BuzzFlash or Gloria. They offer BuzzFlash readers a way of reading what other nations are saying about the crisis, whether we like it or not. We repeat: This is not an endorsement of their viewpoints.
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1//The Independent, UK--BLAIR TRIES TO WIN OVER 'VIRGIN REBELS' AFTER BRUSING VOTE ON CASE FOR WAR (Tony Blair will try to win round a group of about 60 "soft rebels" who voted reluctantly against the Government in Wednesday's rebellion. But ministers are worried that a further 50 or 60 Labour MPs who supported the Government could join the revolt if Mr Blair fails to win a fresh resolution on Iraq at the UN. There are growing fears in the Government that a draft resolution drawn up by Britain, the US and Spain may not secure the backing of the UN Security Council. "There's no momentum building," one British official admitted.)
2//TurkishPress.com, USA--PRESS SCAN--DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. SOLDIERS
IN TURKEY TO START ON MARCH 3; 20 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS FOR SABIHA GOKCEN
AIRPORT; HERE IS MILITARY ACTION PLAN
3//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--NO NEW RESOLUTION, NO SUPPORT: KINGDOM
(Arab News has learned that a new initiative at the summit is likely
to call for the formation of a national unity government with Saddam
Hussein as its figurehead. Political analyst Nasser Al-Majali said
from London that the initiative involves Saudi Arabia, Jordan and
Egypt, and the unity government will have representatives from all
groups who make up Iraqi society.)
4//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--ARABS WASH THEIR HANDS OF SADDAM (Abdel-Moneim Said, director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, sums it all up: "Unfortunately, the destiny of our region is crafted abroad. This is what we are seeing now: our future is being dictated by people outside, be it a dictator like Saddam on one side, or the Americans on the other." This leaves the "ordinary" summit of the Arab League this Saturday at least serving one purpose: to demonstrate how dangerous is the abyss between the acts of Arab regimes and the will of their populations. The abyss is the utmost, undisputed source of terrorism in the Arab world - terrorism that will only be amplified by the Second Gulf War.)
5//Ha'aretz, Israel--ISRAEL NOT LIKELY TO RECEIVE ENTIRE $4 BILLION IN U.S. AID (Israel will not receive the entire $4 billion in special defense aid it has requested from the United States because of the war in Iraq, according to discussions held this week in Washington by the director-general of the Defense Ministry, Amos Yaron. The U.S. is expected, on the other hand, to grant Israel the full $8 billion in requested loan guarantees...The Prime Minister's Office denied a report Thursday evening by Channel 10 television that linked the financial aid discussions with the Americans to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision not to allow outgoing Finance Minister Silvan Shalom to stay on for a second term.)
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1//The
Independent 28 February 2003
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=382390
BLAIR TRIES TO WIN OVER 'VIRGIN REBELS' AFTER BRUSING VOTE ON CASE
FOR WAR
By Andrew Grice Political Editor
Tony Blair will try to win round a group of about 60 "soft rebels" who voted reluctantly against the Government in Wednesday's rebellion.
But ministers are worried that a further 50 or 60 Labour MPs who supported the Government could join the revolt if Mr Blair fails to win a fresh resolution on Iraq at the UN. There are growing fears in the Government that a draft resolution drawn up by Britain, the US and Spain may not secure the backing of the UN Security Council. "There's no momentum building," one British official admitted.
Ministers confirmed yesterday that the rebellion by 121 Labour MPs on Wednesday was bigger than expected. They believe there is little hope of wooing the 59 Labour MPs who voted against a government motion saying Iraq had a "final opportunity" to disarm but will target the "soft rebels" who backed an amendment saying that the case for war was not yet proven. Many of this group, known as "virgin rebels" at Westminster, had not voted against the Government before and have told whips they might be won over by a fresh UN mandate or a verdict by UN inspectors that Saddam Hussein has no intention of disarming.
But Frank Dobson, the former health secretary, predicted a substantial
proportion of Labour MPs would not support action unless authorised
by the Security Council.
(SNIP)
There was also confusion over whether MPs would have another vote before British troops were involved in action. On Wednesday, Mr Blair promised he would debate the issue "many times" in the event of military action and if there was a new UN resolution. But yesterday, Margaret Beckett, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, said only that the Government would "try to keep in touch".
2//TurkishPress.com Thursday, February 27, 2003
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=9274
PRESS SCAN
DEPLOYMENT OF U.S. SOLDIERS IN TURKEY TO START ON MARCH 3--RADIKAL (LEFT)
If the Prime Ministry motion about dispatch of Turkish soldiers abroad
and deployment of foreign armed forces in Turkey is approved by the
parliament, deployment of U.S. soldiers in Turkey will start on March
3. The delegations will complete the negotiation process on Sunday
after approval of the motion. Later, the United States will start deploying
its soldiers and military equipment in Turkey on March 3.
20 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS FOR SABIHA GOKCEN AIRPORT--MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
The United States has rented Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen Airport for six months in return for 20 million U.S. dollars. The airport will be used to provide logistic support to the Northern Front in a possible U.S.-led military action against Iraq.
HERE IS MILITARY ACTION PLAN--TURKIYE (RIGHT)
The Turkish delegation has displayed a successful performance during the negotiations with the United States about a possible military action against Iraq. The United States has accepted 95 percent of Turkey's requests. According to the agreement reached between Turkey and the United States, Kurdish groups and Turkmen will be given only light weapons. These weapons will be taken back after the possible military operation ends. Turkish Armed Forces will use its weapons in case of an attack on Turkmen people and Kirkuk-Mousul oil pipeline and for self defense. Security of Turkmen people will be provided against any attacks.
3//Arab News 27 February 2003 / 26 Dhul Hijjah 1423
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23179
NO NEW RESOLUTION, NO SUPPORT: KINGDOM
Javid Hassan, Arab News Staff
RIYADH, 28 February 2003 - Crown Prince Abdullah will head the Kingdom's delegation to the Arab summit to be held in Egypt on Saturday.
(SNIP)
Arab News has learned that a new initiative at the summit is likely to call for the formation of a national unity government with Saddam Hussein as its figurehead. Political analyst Nasser Al-Majali said from London that the initiative involves Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, and the unity government will have representatives from all groups who make up Iraqi society.
The Kingdom's ambassador to Britain yesterday told BBC that Saudi Arabia will not support a US-led war in Iraq in the absence of a second United Nations resolution explicitly permitting the use of force.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal said that even with a second UN resolution, Arab countries will try to talk Saddam Hussein into reason. He said once any war is over, Saudi Arabia will open talks on US troop withdrawal.
"If there is no longer any need for a no-fly zone in southern Iraq, then the discussions would take place between us and the US about the removal of those forces from the kingdom," he said.
(MORE)
4//Asia Times Online February 27, 2003
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EB28Ak05.html
ARABS WASH THEIR HANDS OF SADDAM
By Pepe Escobar
(SNIP)
At least in theory, the common Arab position is to prevent their territories from becoming a base to attack another Arab country. In practice, Kuwait has been turned into a US boot camp, and Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are also an integral part of the US war machine. These states have already hinted that they would not abide by any decision of the Arab summit on this matter.
The overall feeling is that the Arabs are watching a disaster movie, passive, ecstatic spectators unable to leave their seats. The plot is all about them, but they don't seem to realize it. The eastern flank of the Arab nation will be conquered, occupied and run by a new MacArthur. The plot thickens: Iraq may plunge into civil war, it may be balkanized by neighboring Turkey and Iran, Israel may try to smash the Palestinians for good, orchestrating a mass expulsion to Jordan. But the Arabs remain paralyzed. It was Turkey that had to call them to Istanbul to discuss how to prevent war. It was the European Union that had to force Egypt to reassert its traditional role of leader of collective Arab initiatives.
Arab diplomats and pundits are widely sounding the death of pan-Arabism - that romantic '50s idea that Arab states are part of a great Arab nation and should always be united to defend it. It all went downhill: at the summit on Saturday, Arab leaders are reduced to being torn between fear of the United States and fear of their own people. Palestinian writer Hafez Barghouti offers a devastating analysis of the process: "The Arab system hasn't just declared its impotence to stop the war, it has volunteered to join in - as if in resistance to the desire of many friendly governments and peoples to stop the potential massacre of the Iraqi people. But history will also record that not only the Arab system failed, retreated and colluded with the aggressors; the Arab people, too, were spineless and terrified."
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrullah openly regretted that in "the greatest Muslim demonstration, the reunion of 2 million Muslims in Mecca", there were no calls against war. Nasrullah has fiercely accused a few Arab regimes of secretly supporting war. Nevertheless, pro-US regimes such as Egypt and Jordan, which fear their own public opinion, know all too well that the silence of the Arab street masks tremendous anger. The endless humiliation of Palestine followed daily on live TV, coupled with the upcoming special-effects invasion of Iraq, could be the final spark to light up the volcano.
(SNIP)
Abdel-Moneim Said, director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, sums it all up: "Unfortunately, the destiny of our region is crafted abroad. This is what we are seeing now: our future is being dictated by people outside, be it a dictator like Saddam on one side, or the Americans on the other." This leaves the "ordinary" summit of the Arab League this Saturday at least serving one purpose: to demonstrate how dangerous is the abyss between the acts of Arab regimes and the will of their populations. The abyss is the utmost, undisputed source of terrorism in the Arab world - terrorism that will only be amplified by the Second Gulf War.
5//Ha'aretz Friday, February 28, 2003 Adar1 26, 5763 Israel Time:
00:12 (GMT+2)
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/267646.html
ISRAEL NOT LIKELY TO RECEIVE ENTIRE $4 BILLION IN U.S. AID
By Moti Basok, Haaretz Correspondent
Israel will not receive the entire $4 billion in special defense aid it has requested from the United States because of the war in Iraq, according to discussions held this week in Washington by the director-general of the Defense Ministry, Amos Yaron.
The U.S. is expected, on the other hand, to grant Israel the full $8 billion in requested loan guarantees.
Yaron traveled to Washington midweek for a two-day visit during which he met with senior American officials.
(SNIP)
The Prime Minister's Office denied a report Thursday evening by Channel 10 television that linked the financial aid discussions with the Americans to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision not to allow outgoing Finance Minister Silvan Shalom to stay on for a second term.
The television report quoted Sharon's bureau chief Dov Weisglass as saying that the U.S. told Israel that appointing Shalom to another term in the treasury would decrease Israel's chances of getting the financial aid and loan guarantees it has requested.
The report is "complete nonsense and has no basis," the Prime Minister's Office said Thursday night.
(MORE)
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© 2003, Gloria R. Lalumia, insight@zianet.com
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