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| September 26, 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. * * * 1//The Independent, UK--BLAIR LOYALISTS URGE PM TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM BUSH AND RIGHT WING (The two loyal Blairites, who have been asked by the Prime Minister to produce ideas for Labour's general election manifesto, have joined forces to tell Mr Blair he must change direction to regain the lost momentum after a year devoted largely to Iraq...they have advised the Prime Minister his closeness to President Bush on foreign affairs may give the voters the idea he is pursuing a "right-wing Republican" agenda on domestic issues...In a warning shot from inside the Cabinet, Peter Hain urges Mr Blair not to support American neo-Conservatives in future conflicts and makes a coded attack on President Bush for his "axis of evil" speech.) 2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--THE ROVING EYE: FALLUJAH: A MULTILAYERED PICTURE EMERGES (When al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya - the nemesis of the Governing Council - show images of American casualties, not only in Fallujah but also in Baghdad, people stop talking and their faces lighten up. The running commentary is inevitable: "We thanked them for our freedom, but they should have left long ago." At least in Fallujah, as far as the American occupation is concerned, the battle for hearts and minds is irretrievably lost.) 3//The Moscow Times, Russia--OPINION: ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE (There is, however, a problem. The United States, proud of its role as the one and only superpower, is incapable of appreciating the concessions made by other countries. The term "gratitude" does not exist in the American political lexicon. As a result, many in Russia, even those who understand the imperative of helping the Americans, are in favor of waiting for the United States to get further bogged down in Iraq. Given the widespread distrust of the United States in the Russian establishment, the best chance for a deal lies in the personal friendship and trust between Bush and Putin. And given that presidential advisers are advising a go-slow approach, to avoid a repeat of Kosovo, where Russia was completely unable to advance its own interests, Putin must personally push things forward.) 4//Times of India, India--VAJPAYEE SLAMS PAK'S POLITICS OF BLACKMAIL (In the bluntest, most public rejection yet of Pakistan's attempt to force talks on the Kashmir issue, Vajpayee said, "We totally refuse to let terrorism become a tool of blackmail. Just as the world did not negotiate with al-Qaeda or the Taliban, we shall not negotiate with terrorism." He prefaced the rejection by pointing out that the Pakistani President has made a public admission for the first time before the UN on Wednesday that "Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir." After claiming that there is an indigenous struggle in Kashmir, he (Musharraf) has offered to encourage a general cessation of violence within Kashmir, in return for "reciprocal obligations and restraints."...The tone of exchanges during the torrid week in New York now appears to have put even more distance between India and Pakistan after a brief period of hope.) 5//Inter Press Service, Italy--U.S. DOMINATES ARMS SALES TO THIRD WORLD (Washington accounted for close to one-half of all new arms transfer agreements concluded during the year, as well as actual arms deliveries. Altogether, arms sales from all sources to developing countries made up about two-thirds of arms sales worldwide during 2002, according to the report, which is based on the most comprehensive data compiled by the U.S. government.) * * * 1//The
Independent 26 September 2003 BLAIR LOYALISTS URGE PM TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM BUSH AND
RIGHT WING The former Cabinet ministers Alan Milburn and Stephen Byers today warn Tony Blair he has become dangerously close to President George Bush and needs a more traditional Labour agenda. The two loyal Blairites, who have been asked by the Prime Minister to produce ideas for Labour's general election manifesto, have joined forces to tell Mr Blair he must change direction to regain the lost momentum after a year devoted largely to Iraq. They have urged Mr Blair to press ahead with his New Labour reforms and to reject calls by ministers, including Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, for a period of "consolidation." But they have advised the Prime Minister his closeness to President Bush on foreign affairs may give the voters the idea he is pursuing a "right-wing Republican" agenda on domestic issues. Mr Milburn, who resigned as Health Secretary in June to spend more time with his family, re-enters the political debate today with a call for the Government "to be both more Labour and more New Labour." While pursuing more reforms, he writes in The Guardian, Labour must not lose sight of its traditional values, and must persuade people that the Government's policies adapt them to today's world. Mr Milburn says that while New Labour has defined what it is against, it must now define exactly what it is for. In a similar piece in The Independent, Mr Byers warns Mr Blair must "regain momentum" and New Labour is "entering its third, potentially most difficult phase" as it tries to renew itself while in office. (SNIP) In a warning shot from inside the Cabinet, Peter Hain urges Mr Blair not to support American neo-Conservatives in future conflicts and makes a coded attack on President Bush for his "axis of evil" speech. In today's New Statesman magazine, the Leader of the Commons says: "I don't know anybody serious in government who thinks we can replicate Syria or Iran or North Korea with what happened in Iraq ... If some of the wilder exponents, some of the extremists, were to be curbed in terms of their axis-of-evil type of fantasies, that would be a good thing."
The Roving Eye FALLUJAH - This is the heart of the Iraqi resistance. Fallujah, with a population of almost 500,000 people, traditionally "the city of mosques", is now called "the city of heroes" as it is at the core of the Sunni triangle (Baghdad-Ramadi-Tikrit) where most of the resistance to the US occupation is taking place. President George W Bush told the United Nations on Tuesday that he is not willing to give back full sovereignty to Iraq any time soon. US Proconsul L Paul Bremer said last week that Iraqis are not yet capable of ruling themselves. The citizens of Fallujah have other ideas. The highway from the capital to Fallujah - 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of Baghdad and the scene of one of the fiercest tank battles of the war in April - passes past Abu Ghraeb prison, one of the symbols of Saddam Hussein's repression which is now the American occupation's largest prison. Practically every day in Fallujah there are attacks against the Americans. And the repression is also fierce - all around Fallujah. This Tuesday, for example, the 82nd Airborne intervened with full force in al-Sajr, a village 15 kilometers north of Fallujah, leaving two big craters in the courtyards of two houses. (SNIP) These citizens of Fallujah are not part of the armed struggle. They only admit that the stream of attacks against Americans are conducted by very small groups armed with roadside bombs, rocket launchers and Strella anti-aircraft guns. Most are former army officers, with the operations financed by local businessmen ready to donate thousands of dollars. The regimental force is always the tribal chief. Convincing tools for the young and the restless are multiple: defense of tribal values, defense of the motherland, and most of all defense against the "bad behavior" of the Americans. The mujahideen can count on total popular complicity. When al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya - the nemesis of the Governing Council - show images of American casualties, not only in Fallujah but also in Baghdad, people stop talking and their faces lighten up. The running commentary is inevitable: "We thanked them for our freedom, but they should have left long ago." At least in Fallujah, as far as the American occupation is concerned, the battle for hearts and minds is irretrievably lost.
OPINION: ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE Expectations for the Russia-U.S. summit are not that great, but we should not rule out the possibility of some surprises resulting from the unique situation at the moment -- a situation that in many respects resembles that which prevailed in the fall of 2001. Now, as then, Russia in general has more of an interest in bilateral relations improving -- but if we're talking about right now, then it is the United States that has more of an interest. (SNIP) U.S. problems in Iraq have given rise to schadenfreude among certain sections of Russian society, but we need to get over it as soon as possible. Yes, Bush made a big mistake by going into Iraq, but if he cuts and runs, the consequences will be tragic. Multinational forces, without decisive leadership and without a clear mandate, will not be capable of withstanding the rise of radicals. Under the slogan of immediate transfer of power to the Iraqi people, world leaders would wash their hands of responsibility, and power in Iraq would quickly be seized by Islamic radicals. For Russia, the consequences would be very bad, particularly in regard to the war against Chechen terrorism. U.S. defeat in Iraq does not serve Russian interests and thus there are good reasons for President Vladimir Putin to meet Bush halfway on most of Bush's wishes vis-a-vis Iraq. There is, however, a problem. The United States, proud of its role as the one and only superpower, is incapable of appreciating the concessions made by other countries. The term "gratitude" does not exist in the American political lexicon. As a result, many in Russia, even those who understand the imperative of helping the Americans, are in favor of waiting for the United States to get further bogged down in Iraq. Given the widespread distrust of the United States in the Russian establishment, the best chance for a deal lies in the personal friendship and trust between Bush and Putin. And given that presidential advisers are advising a go-slow approach, to avoid a repeat of Kosovo, where Russia was completely unable to advance its own interests, Putin must personally push things forward. A prior agreement on UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq and dispatching Emergency Situations Ministry specialists and construction workers and the necessary forces to protect them both look realistic. On Iran, Russia has already made a step toward the U.S. position by siding with the IAEA in its conflict with Iran. Russia is not prepared to go any further, especially as its position in essence coincides with the European position. So, Iran will remain an issue of disagreement, but it is unlikely the United States will emphasize this issue at a time when the situation in Iraq is deteriorating by the day. North Korea is also slipping from the United States' grasp. Until the normalization of the situation in Iraq and the conclusion of the U.S. presidential election next year, Bush's main priority is to prevent anything from happening that would force him to intervene militarily -- something that is not likely to go down well with the electorate. Russia is playing a small, but important role in these talks (something acknowledged by the U.S. side). (MORE)
VAJPAYEE SLAMS PAK'S POLITICS OF BLACKMAIL
U.S. DOMINATES ARMS SALES TO THIRD WORLD Altogether, arms sales from all sources to developing countries made up about two-thirds of arms sales worldwide during 2002, according to the report, which is based on the most comprehensive data compiled by the U.S. government. New arms agreements with developing nations totalled 17.7 billion dollars, a 10 percent increase over new deals in 2001. Of that total, U.S. sales came to 8.6 billion dollars, or almost 48 percent of all arms transfers to Third World countries, up from 41 percent the previous year. Washington was followed by Russia, which sold 5.7 billion dollars worth of arms; Ukraine (1.6 billion dollars); Italy (1.5 billion dollars); and Germany and France (1.1 billion dollars each). China was the leading recipient of conventional arms transfers in 2002, accounting for 3.6 billion dollars in purchases; followed by South Korea (1.9 billion dollars); India (1.4 billion dollars); and Oman (1.3 billion dollars). Of the 10 top recipients, five were in the Middle East -- Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, in addition to Oman -- and four in Asia, with Malaysia ranking eighth behind China, Korea and India. (MORE) | |||||
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