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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//TurkishPress.com, Turkey--PRESS SCAN: BUSH PHONES BUT CAN'T GET PROMISE; ACTIVITY CONTINUES IN BASES AND PORTS
2//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--RUMSFELD VISIT 'HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WAR DATE' (US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's visit to Saudi Arabia next week is not intended to notify Riyadh on the date of a possible war on Iraq, Okaz reported yesterday. Quoting Saudi sources, the Arabic daily said the US official's visit next week falls within the framework of a tour which is to include Kuwait and Qatar.)
3//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--WE MUST TAKE ON SADDAM, EVEN WITHOUT UN, SAYS HOWARD (The Prime Minister has launched a spirited final campaign to persuade Australians of the case for war in Iraq, as a new poll reveals firming opposition to conflict without United Nations backing, The complications for the Federal Government grew last night with the public resignation of one of its intelligence analysts, who proclaimed the move towards war as "dumb" and "unjustified".)
4//The Toronto Star, Canada--CANADIAN TO HEAD INTERNATIONAL COURT (Presidents, heads of government and foreign ministers were among the 550 guests at the ceremonies, although Washington did not send an official representative...The Bush administration has secured 22 bilateral treaties with countries granting U.S. citizens immunity from arrest warrants issued by the international court. Congress also has adopted legislation empowering the president to use "all means necessary" to free Americans taken into the court's custody - jokingly called the Invasion of The Hague Act.)
5//The Moscow Times, Russia--FSB LOOKS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE THE KGB (By regaining control over the national encryption agency and the border guard service, the Federal Security Service emerged as a clear winner in Tuesday's power reshuffles, with its status and capabilities now comparable to those of its mighty and fearful predecessor -- the Soviet KGB... The expansion of the FSB's powers, however, could backfire on Putin, who relies on Patrushev to maintain a grip on the agency, according to Pikayev. "Will Patrushev always support Putin? Friends may fall out. It may be dangerous to keep this all in one hand," Pikayev said.)
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1//TurkishPress.com Tuesday, March 11, 2003
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=9453
Press Scan
SABAH (LIBERAL)
BUSH PHONES BUT CAN'T GET PROMISE
U.S. President George W. Bush, who spoke to Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone and congratulated him on being elected as deputy, was not satisfied with the issue of motion. Bush asked Erdogan when the second motion would be submitted to parliament. When he was expecting a positive response, Erdogan listed Turkey's reservations. Erdogan wanted participation of Turkmens in the leadership council and increase of economic package.
CUMHURIYET (LEFT)
ACTIVITY CONTINUES IN BASES AND PORTS
Activity continues in bases and Iskenderun port which will play an important role for northern front in a possible U.S. military operation gainst Iraq. Major Ruhi Caliskan who confiscated weapons of U.S. soldiers who tried to leave the port without permission was assigned to another department in the port. A total of 46 vehicles went to Mardin, Gaziantep and Silopi. There is also activity in Incirlik Base. A total of 15 buses carrying U.S. soldiers went from Incirlik Base to Gaziantep.
2//Arab News 12 March 2003 / 9 Muharram 1424
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=23602
RUMSFELD VISIT 'HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WAR DATE'
Staff Writer
JEDDAH, 12 March 2003 - US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's visit to Saudi Arabia next week is not intended to notify Riyadh on the date of a possible war on Iraq, Okaz reported yesterday.
Quoting Saudi sources, the Arabic daily said the US official's visit next week falls within the framework of a tour which is to include Kuwait and Qatar.
Some 100,000 US soldiers have been deployed in Kuwait for a possible invasion of Iraq, while Washington has transferred to Qatar the US Army's central command to direct a possible attack against Baghdad.
(SNIP)
Rumsfeld's talks with the Saudi leadership are expected to focus on issues of common interest besides discussing the latest developments in the Iraqi crisis, the newspaper said.
Last Saturday, Prince Sultan affirmed that military agreements between Washington and Riyadh do not imply the use of Saudi territories in military operations against Iraq.
But the defense minister acknowledged the presence in the Kingdom of US troops and said they were here to give logistical support and help in humanitarian operations in case of a US-led war against Iraq.
(MORE)
3//The Sydney Morning Herald March 12 2003
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/11/1047144976200.html
WE MUST TAKE ON SADDAM, EVEN WITHOUT UN, SAYS HOWARD
By Mark Riley, Political Correspondent
The Prime Minister has launched a spirited final campaign to persuade Australians of the case for war in Iraq, as a new poll reveals firming opposition to conflict without United Nations backing.
The complications for the Federal Government grew last night with the public resignation of one of its intelligence analysts, who proclaimed the move towards war as "dumb" and "unjustified".
And a former Liberal leader, John Hewson, last night predicted that cabinet and party solidarity was about to break with a significant number of senior Liberals opposed to John Howard's pro-American stance.
He told SBS the Prime Minister was taking Australia on a journey
with no idea where it was
leading.
"I know there are a lot of people in the party and in the cabinet and ministry that are opposed to this," he said. "They are more or less intimidated by John Howard and the way he runs the place and they don't want to speak out."
(SNIP)
As Mr Howard began his push, a poll revealed that the proportion of Australians opposed to a US-led attack had grown to 59 per cent, its highest level in six months.
The survey, conducted over the past week by UMR Research for the Hawker Britton consultancy group, found that 55 per cent of men and 63 per cent of women were against a unilateral invasion.
But it also recorded the highest-ever level of support for the now unlikely prospect of a multilateral military action sanctioned by the Security Council. Of the 1000 people polled last week, 64 per cent said they supported war with UN approval and 34 per cent said they were opposed.
4//The Toronto Star Mar. 11, 2003. 01:55 PM
ARTICLE
LINK
CANADIAN TO HEAD INTERNATIONAL COURT
THE HAGUE (AP-CP) - It could be years before it hears a case, and it faces major opposition from the United States, but the world's first permanent war-crimes court was inaugurated today with the swearing in of 18 judges, including a well-respected Canadian diplomat who was also elected the court's president.
With Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan looking on, the judges promised one by one to administer justice "impartially and conscientiously."
The seven women and 11 men then took a seat at a long table in the 13th-century Knight's Hall for the inauguration of the International Criminal Court, created to bring justice to those who commit some of the worst abuses of human rights.
(SNIP)
Presidents, heads of government and foreign ministers were among the 550 guests at the ceremonies, although Washington did not send an official representative.
Annan said that after 50 years of debate on what form the court should take, it could now begin work in the interests of peace as a deterrent for future war crimes.
(SNIP)
The United States and Israel have voiced fears that the court would be misused by their political enemies despite built-in safeguards.
The chairman of the organization of member states tried to reassure critics. The court will apply the law equally to all, and ``is not the world's crucible for vengeance," said Prince Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan, who administered the oath to the judges.
(SNIP)
Former U.S. president Bill Clinton signed the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court, but President George W. Bush has withdrawn U.S. support, fearing the tribunal would be used for politically motivated prosecutions of Americans.
The Bush administration has secured 22 bilateral treaties with countries granting U.S. citizens immunity from arrest warrants issued by the international court. Congress also has adopted legislation empowering the president to use "all means necessary" to free Americans taken into the court's custody - jokingly called the Invasion of The Hague Act.
The court will have jurisdiction to punish war crimes, including genocide, in any country that has ratified the statute, if that country has refused to prosecute suspects itself. Non-party states can ask the court to intervene, as can the UN Security Council.
(MORE)
5//The Moscow Times Wednesday, Mar. 12, 2003. Page 1
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/03/12/002.html
FSB LOOKS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE THE KGB
By Simon Saradzhyan, Staff Writer
By regaining control over the national encryption agency and the border guard service, the Federal Security Service emerged as a clear winner in Tuesday's power reshuffles, with its status and capabilities now comparable to those of its mighty and fearful predecessor -- the Soviet KGB.
President Vladimir Putin announced that the Federal Security Service, or FSB, will take over the entire Federal Border Service and parts of the Federal Agency for Government Communications and Information, or FAPSI. Both used to be directorates within the KGB, which was split into several agencies with the collapse of the Soviet Union as a way to weaken the secret services and break with the KGB's repressive past.
Now a restored FSB lacks only the Foreign Intelligence Service and Federal Guard Service, which are responsible for espionage abroad and the physical security of top officials, respectively, to put it back on par with the KGB.
But even without these two now independent services, the FSB has become a "superagency" when compared to the other so-called power agencies, said Alexander Pikayev, defense and security analyst with the Moscow Carnegie Center.
In addition to its own staff of tens of thousands, the FSB will now control more than 150,000 border guards armed with thousands of artillery pieces, armored vehicles, patrol boats and aircraft and can engage in intelligence across Russia's borders. They will be under the command of first deputy FSB director Vladimir Pronichev, a former border guard officer.
(SNIP)
Given the lack of parliamentary oversight over the secret services, this could open up more opportunities for abuse of powers, according to Valery Pribylovsky, head of the Panorama think tank. Considering the KGB's history of abuses, "this is alarming," he said.
Pikayev and Nikolai Leonov, former head of KGB's analytical department, agreed that the lack of parliamentary oversight is a problem, but noted that the empowerment of the FSB should have a positive impact on Russia's national security.
(SNIP)
The expansion of the FSB's powers, however, could backfire on Putin, who relies on Patrushev to maintain a grip on the agency, according to Pikayev. "Will Patrushev always support Putin? Friends may fall out. It may be dangerous to keep this all in one hand," Pikayev said.
(MORE)
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© 2003, Gloria R. Lalumia, insight@zianet.com
Radio for the Left at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical/radio.htm
