July 25, 2003
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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 Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--USFK MISSION TRANSFERS ADVANCED (Seoul and Washington have agreed on an early transfer of selected military missions from U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula to South Korean forces. The agreement was made Thursday at the two-day, third round of the South Korea-U.S. military meetings, themed "Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative," in Honolulu. The two sides decided to complete by 2006 the transfer of eight missions designed to specifically deal with North Korean threats in the event of emergencies in the region.)
Related Editorial
USFK'S HASTY TRANSFERS (Our concern is that the changes might be
happening faster than Korea's ability to adjust to them. The military's
initial position was that this should happen somewhere around the
year 2010. Reports are that at the recent round of meetings, the
United States strongly insisted that the transfer of responsibilities
take place between 2004 and 2006, and there was little choice but
to accept this.)
2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--SPANISH ADVANCE PARTY LEAVES FOR IRAQ (A 60-strong advance party of Spanish troops left their base in the northern city of Zaragoza Wednesday for southern Iraq, where they will join the US-British force bidding to smoothe the way towards democracy in the country, Spanish defence ministry sources said. In all, Spain is set to provide 1,300 military personnel on the ground alongside a further 1,100 from Central American states including Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Wednesday's group comprised engineers, sappers and radio communications experts who will work on the post war reconstruction of Iraq.)
3//The Australian, Australia--NEW BOOTPRINTS ON BEACHHEAD OF HISTORY (RETRACING the steps of US troops who landed 61 years ago to fight the Japanese, about 300 Australian troops and police aboard the Australian warship HMAS Manoora came ashore at Solomon Islands' historic Red Beach yesterday morning. With little more than a gaggle of foreign media as witnesses, the biggest military operation in the South Pacific since World War II was launched as the first contingent of the 2225-strong intervention force reached the islands' shores.)
4//The Independent, UK--MEDIA BILL MAY BOOST BERLUSCONI EMPIRE (Silvio
Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, is in a more powerful position
than ever after parliament approved a media reform bill that leaves
his huge empire intact and raises the possibility of it expanding
even further. A conflict of interest bill, which allows the billionaire
politician to retain ownership of all his assets, is also close to
winning final approval...The new media act allows Mr Berlusconi's
company, Mediaset, to retain ownership of all three national commercial
channels, ignoring a court ruling that one of them should be made
public. It also redefines the advertising market to include print
as well as television, and by allowing any one company to control
up to 20 per cent of this market, it raises the possibility of Mr
Berlusconi buying a coveted daily newspaper, such as Corriere della
Sera, the biggest-selling paper in Italy.)
5//The Independent, UK--BRUSSELS CLEARS WAY FOR PLANTING OF GM
CROPS (Governments will not be able to bar farmers from planting
genetically modified crops, the European Commission said yesterday,
announcing guidelines on how they can be cultivated safely...Governments
can set national regulations on how to separate GM and conventional
crops, but Mr Fischler warned that the application of over-rigorous
laws would lead to court action. He said: "If people go over
the top to bring in a GMO-free area by the backdoor this would
be a question for the [European] Court of Justice. This is something
I certainly could not preclude.")
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1//The
Chosun Ilbo Updated July.24, 2003 17:43 KST
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200307/200307240016.html
USFK MISSION TRANSFERS ADVANCED
by Yoo Yong-won
Seoul and Washington have agreed on an early transfer of selected military missions from U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula to South Korean forces.
The agreement was made Thursday at the two-day, third round of the South Korea-U.S. military meetings, themed "Future of the Alliance Policy Initiative," in Honolulu.
The two sides decided to complete by 2006 the transfer of eight missions designed to specifically deal with North Korean threats in the event of emergencies in the region.
The job of manning the Joint Security Area will be completely handed over to the South Korean Army by 2006. The relocation of the Yongsan army base and the consolidation and rearranging of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division will all be completed by 2006, earlier than expected.
The job of guarding the JSA will be handed over to the South Korean Army from the end of 2004 to early 2005, after which all 600 guard unit members will be South Korean soldiers. This is significant because the South Korean Army will finally be responsible for guarding its entire side of the Demilitarized Zone for the first time since the armistice agreement was signed 53 years ago. However, in order to maintain the role of the United Nations, the United Nations Command will still have some control.
The South Korea and U.S. officials leading the talks also agreed
on transferring the other tasks by 2006, including protecting against
over-sea incursions by North Korean special forces, mine clearing
and search and rescue operations. But the sides failed to reach agreement
on a strategy to defend against North Korea's long-range missiles;
the matter will be rediscussed during the next conference in September.
(MORE)
Related Editorial
USFK'S HASTY TRANSFERS
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200307/200307240035.html
July 25, 2003
When Seoul and Washington agree that the United States will hand over responsibility for certain areas of security in the Panmunjom Joint Security Area and outline the specific details and timeline for doing so, it shows how real the changes in our security climate are happening, and how rapidly.
Our concern is that the changes might be happening faster than Korea's ability to adjust to them. The military's initial position was that this should happen somewhere around the year 2010. Reports are that at the recent round of meetings, the United States strongly insisted that the transfer of responsibilities take place between 2004 and 2006, and there was little choice but to accept this.
(MORE)
2//The Jordan Times July 24, 2003
http://www.jordantimes.com/Thu/news/news6.htm
SPANISH ADVANCE PARTY LEAVES FOR IRAQ
MADRID (AFP) - A 60-strong advance party of Spanish troops left their base in the northern city of Zaragoza Wednesday for southern Iraq, where they will join the US-British force bidding to smoothe the way towards democracy in the country, Spanish defence ministry sources said.
In all, Spain is set to provide 1,300 military personnel on the ground alongside a further 1,100 from Central American states including Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Wednesday's group comprised engineers, sappers and radio communications experts who will work on the post war reconstruction of Iraq.
The brigade, to come under the command of a Polish division, will be led by Spanish General Alfredo Cardona and will be deployed in the southern provinces of Al Qadisiyah and Nayaf.
According to Defence Minister Federico Trillo, the Spanish and the troops from the Dominican Republic will be based at Al Qadisiyah, with the remaining forces from Central America set to operate in and around Nayaf.
The force, the remainder of which will go out to Iraq between August 22 and 31, is set to remain in place until December 30 and is designed to relieve US troops in the region.
(MORE)
3//The Australian July 25, 2003
LINK
NEW BOOTPRINTS ON BEACHHEAD OF HISTORY
By Mary-Louise O'Callaghan, Honiara
RETRACING the steps of US troops who landed 61 years ago to fight the Japanese, about 300 Australian troops and police aboard the Australian warship HMAS Manoora came ashore at Solomon Islands' historic Red Beach yesterday morning.
With little more than a gaggle of foreign media as witnesses, the biggest military operation in the South Pacific since World War II was launched as the first contingent of the 2225-strong intervention force reached the islands' shores.
"It's like a dream," said Adrian Tukunga, a 31-year-old school principal, watching troop carriers and military vehicles roll off successive flights of RAAF C130 Hercules a few kilometres away at the equally historic Henderson Field, object of the Americans' campaign more than 50 years ago. "We never imagined we would see this here, that these people would come to assist us."
Most Solomon Islanders were asleep when the first troops arrived just after dawn yesterday, and the rhetoric of John Howard's brave new assertive regional policy began to be translated into reality.
But as the wave of airlifts continued throughout the day, hundreds of curious onlookers flocked to Henderson - the country's only international airport - to press their faces against the wire fence and bear witness to the change in their troubled nation's fortunes.
Promising a better life for all Solomon Islanders from this day forward, the leader of the Australian-led intervention force, senior Canberra diplomat Nick Warner issued a warning to those who had been holding the South Pacific nation to ransom since a coup in 2000. "Those individuals who have profited - at the expense of the nation - from the disorder of the past few years will no longer be permitted to do so," he said.
With the first of the Australian police patrolling the capital's streets last night, Mr Warner warned the Solomons' troublemakers not to get in the way of the intervention force, whose first priority was to restore law and order.
(MORE)
4//The Independent 24 July 2003
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=427040
MEDIA BILL MAY BOOST BERLUSCONI EMPIRE
By Peter Popham in Rome
Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, is in a more powerful position than ever after parliament approved a media reform bill that leaves his huge empire intact and raises the possibility of it expanding even further.
A conflict of interest bill, which allows the billionaire politician to retain ownership of all his assets, is also close to winning final approval.
Mr Berlusconi's House of Liberties centre-right coalition government enjoys a comfortable majority in both houses of parliament.
(SNIP)
The new media act allows Mr Berlusconi's company, Mediaset, to retain ownership of all three national commercial channels, ignoring a court ruling that one of them should be made public. It also redefines the advertising market to include print as well as television, and by allowing any one company to control up to 20 per cent of this market, it raises the possibility of Mr Berlusconi buying a coveted daily newspaper, such as Corriere della Sera, the biggest-selling paper in Italy.
5//The Independent 24 July 2003
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=427037
BRUSSELS CLEARS WAY FOR PLANTING OF GM CROPS
By Stephen Castle
Governments will not be able to bar farmers from planting genetically modified crops, the European Commission said yesterday, announcing guidelines on how they can be cultivated safely.
Franz Fischler, the EU agriculture commissioner, said neighbouring farmers could club together to declare their land "GM-free", but added: "It is not possible for regions or national governments to introduce GM-free zones."
Governments can set national regulations on how to separate GM and conventional crops, but Mr Fischler warned that the application of over-rigorous laws would lead to court action. He said: "If people go over the top to bring in a GMO-free area by the backdoor this would be a question for the [European] Court of Justice. This is something I certainly could not preclude."
Environmental groups say that, by leaving the fine print of rules to national governments, several will manage to create a GM-free space. Yesterday's publication of guidelines follows agreement on new legislation on traceability and labelling of GM products. It is part of a push to end a moratorium on new GM licences, which has lasted more than four years.
(MORE)
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©2003, Gloria R. Lalumia, insight@zianet.com
Radio for the Left at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical/radio.htm
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