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| October 15, 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--BENN PLEDGES MORE CASH AS CRITICISM MOUNTS OVER IRAQ (Britain pledged nearly half a billion pounds yesterday towards the reconstruction of Iraq, while ministers faced further criticism over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in the country...Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, promised to investigate claims by a senior British police officer that efforts to restore law and order in southern Iraq were hampered by a lack of resources. Stephen White, an assistant chief constable in Northern Ireland, now police chief in charge of law and order in southern Iraq, criticised the Government for giving him a team of 15 men and women in Basra when he expected 1,500.) 2//TurkishPress.com, US--TURKEY CAN SEND SOLDIERS TO IRAQ BETWEEN RAMADAN AND CHRISTMAS (Former Foreign Minister and Parliamentary Adjustment Commission Chairman Yasar Yakis implied on Tuesday that Turkey could send soldiers to Iraq between the Holy month of Ramadan, which would start at the end of October and end at the end of November, and the Christmas holiday, which would start on December 25...Yakis said that talks between Turkey and the United States continued on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq...Yakis listed principles in talks between Turkey and the United States as follows, ''efforts of the United States to mollify the opposition of Kurdish groups in Iraq against Turkey, region where Turkish soldiers will be deployed in Iraq, under which conditions Turkish soldiers will be granted authority to shoot since the United States is responsible for every kind of military operation in Iraq...) 3//The Daily Star, Lebanon--RUSSIA POSTPONES WORK ON IRAN
REACTOR (Russia Monday postponed plans to start up a nuclear
reactor in Iran until 2005, as Tehran said UN nuclear watchdog
chief Mohammed al-Baradei would visit the capital for talks
on Thursday. A source in the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry
said the delay was due to technical reasons and had nothing
to do with US concerns over Russian nuclear ties with the
Islamic Republic...Moscow has said it is prepared to drop
plans to build the reactor if the UN's International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) presents evidence of a weapons program.) 5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--ANTI-BUSH PROTESTS CONTINUE (MILITANT groups continued their anti-Bush protests Tuesday as Oct. 18, the day of the arrival of US President Bush, neared. Militant fisherfolk swam in the waters of Manila Bay while urban poor members trooped to the Mendiola area near Malacañang Palace to protest the demolition of shanties for the arrival of Bush. At the same time, victims of toxic waste contamination -- most of them former workers and their families who lived at the former US military bases -- vowed to join the protests to press the US government to recognize their plight.) * * * 1//The
Independent 15 October 2003 BENN PLEDGES MORE CASH AS CRITICISM MOUNTS OVER IRAQ Britain pledged nearly half a billion pounds yesterday towards the reconstruction of Iraq, while ministers faced further criticism over the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in the country. Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for International Development, told MPs that Britain would allocate £544m towards rebuilding Iraq when international donors meet in Madrid later this month. But Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said that the settlement, which includes £248m already allocated by the Department for International Development, was "but a small fraction" of the money needed to rebuild the country. He called for a "wholesale resumption of oil exports" to fund the restoration of vital services. President George Bush has asked Congress for $20.3bn (£12bn) to help rebuild Iraq while the World Bank estimated that $55bn was needed to restore public services. Caroline Spelman, the shadow Secretary of State for International Development, welcomed the announcement and called on ministers to use the Madrid conference to persuade other countries to contribute towards reconstruction. Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, promised to investigate claims by a senior British police officer that efforts to restore law and order in southern Iraq were hampered by a lack of resources. Stephen White, an assistant chief constable in Northern Ireland, now police chief in charge of law and order in southern Iraq, criticised the Government for giving him a team of 15 men and women in Basra when he expected 1,500. (MORE)
TURKEY CAN SEND SOLDIERS TO IRAQ BETWEEN RAMADAN AND CHRISTMAS MADRID - Former Foreign Minister and Parliamentary Adjustment Commission Chairman Yasar Yakis implied on Tuesday that Turkey could send soldiers to Iraq between the Holy month of Ramadan, which would start at the end of October and end at the end of November, and the Christmas holiday, which would start on December 25. A parliamentary delegation comprised of Yakis, Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliament Commission Co-chairman Aydin Dumanoglu and Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Onur Oymen came to Spanish capital Madrid upon invitation of EU Joint Parliamentary Co-Chairman Josep Borrel Fontelles. (SNIP) Yakis said that talks between Turkey and the United States continued on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq. ''Repercussions of Turkey's decision to send soldiers to Iraq in not only in Iraq but also in Arab countries and other regional countries will be taken into consideration in talks with the United States. If the fact that Turkey is a country, the majority of the population of which is Muslim is taken into consideration, it is a milestone to take decision to send soldiers after the holy month of Ramadan. At the same time, Christmas holiday is important for the United States. U.S. soldiers would like to spend their holiday with their families. If the United States wants to send its soldiers home for the holiday without any problems, we should expect the United States to lift obstacles in talks. This doesn't mean that Turkish soldiers will go to Iraq at the end of Ramadan and between Ramadan and Christmas. But, these are dates that should be kept in mind,'' Yakis noted. Yakis listed principles in talks between Turkey and the United States as follows, ''efforts of the United States to mollify the opposition of Kurdish groups in Iraq against Turkey, region where Turkish soldiers will be deployed in Iraq, under which conditions Turkish soldiers will be granted authority to shoot since the United States is responsible for every kind of military operation in Iraq, how and from where Turkey soldiers will be sent to this country, elimination of terrorist organization PKK/KADEK from Iraq, and how economic burden caused due to dispatch of soldiers to Iraq will be shared.'' (SNIP) Yakis added, ''Turkey doesn't want to define itself an occupier force in Iraq. Therefore, the authority of the government to send troops to Iraq is only valid for one year.'' Parliamentarian Onur Oymen said, ''as the opposition, we are against dispatch of soldiers to Iraq at the moment since there is not any international legitimacy.'' Oymen noted that Turkish people, ethnic groups in Iraq and Arab countries did not want Turkey to send soldiers to Iraq and expressed belief that Turkish soldiers would undertake a serious risk. The biggest threat for Turkey was the terrorists in the north of Iraq, Oymen underlined. Oymen stated that an agreement could not be reached with the United States on elimination of PKK/KADEK. (MORE)
RUSSIA POSTPONES WORK ON IRAN REACTOR Russia Monday postponed plans to start up a nuclear reactor in Iran until 2005, as Tehran said UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohammed al-Baradei would visit the capital for talks on Thursday. A source in the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry said the delay was due to technical reasons and had nothing to do with US concerns over Russian nuclear ties with the Islamic Republic. "We are putting off the start-up of the first reactor of the Bushehr plant because much of the technical equipment has not been supplied in time," the source said. The announcement was made three days before UN nuclear watchdog chief Baradei was due to visit Tehran and two weeks before a deadline expires for Iran to present evidence that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Moscow and Tehran still planned to sign a crucial agreement obliging Iran to return spent nuclear fuel to Russia. The two sides have been locked in months of negotiations on the accord. Moscow has said it is prepared to drop plans to build the reactor if the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) presents evidence of a weapons program. Concerns about Iran's nuclear program were fueled earlier
this year when Tehran revealed it was well on the way to
enriching uranium. An official from the exiled opposition group the National Council of Resistance of Iran said it had details of a secret facility in Iran and would provide details Tuesday. Khatami adviser Ali Rabiei told the official IRNA news agency that Iran would start negotiations with the IAEA next week about signing the Additional Protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which would give IAEA inspectors virtually unfettered access to carry out spot checks. (MORE)
NO, SERIOUSLY, SAYS CREAN, ALL RISE FOR GEORGE BUSH What does Simon Crean stand for? George Bush. But will his party stand behind him? And will he clap? And will they? Will they stand as they clap, or clap while seated, or stand silently? And if they stand, which way will they face? These are the kinds of weighty questions burdening federal Labor Party MPs and senators following yesterday's party room meeting, which was substantially devoted to the ticklish matter of balancing protocol and protest during George W. Bush's visit to Australia. Simon Crean came down decisively on the side of protocol, telling potentially bolshie caucus members that the US President should not be the subject of protest in the chamber when he addresses Parliament next week. And he suggested that meant standing and, as appropriate, applauding the President, which some MPs saw as an instruction to put on a unanimous standing ovation for a man they can't stand. And they're not going to do it. Harry Quick, for example, said last night he would maintain silence unless Mr Bush fluffed his lines, in which case he would laugh loudly and possibly applaud. But Mr Quick was apparently joking and, in any case, it would be an improvement, from Mr Crean's point of view, on the Tasmanian MP's former position. At one stage last week, Mr Quick was considering protesting by turning his back on the President. Now he will speak to a protest rally outside the building, and wear a white armband into the chamber. Mr Quick hopes 12 or 15 of his colleagues will do the same. Time will tell. Some left-wing MPs last night said they would be courteous enough to stand as Bush left, but there was no way they would clap. One suggested he might clap at inappropriate times, from a sitting position. Also not clapping will be some minor party senators, notably Greens leader Bob Brown. His office is hinting darkly at some further stunt against Bush. One certain to be clapping is the Prime Minister, John Howard, despite his once-held view that applauding was inappropriate. (MORE)
ANTI-BUSH PROTESTS CONTINUE MILITANT groups continued their anti-Bush protests Tuesday as Oct. 18, the day of the arrival of US President Bush, neared. Militant fisherfolk swam in the waters of Manila Bay while urban poor members trooped to the Mendiola area near Malacañang Palace to protest the demolition of shanties for the arrival of Bush. At the same time, victims of toxic waste contamination -- most of them former workers and their families who lived at the former US military bases -- vowed to join the protests to press the US government to recognize their plight. "We are now experiencing the effects of contamination, 30 to 40 years after we worked in the bases... Members of our families have also been affected," Braulio Pabillare, a former supervisor at the Ship Repair Facility in Subic, Zamabales, said. Pabillare spoke at a press conference organized by the People's Task Force for Bases Clean-Up. (SNIP) The militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, for its part, announced that it would start the burning of American flags Wednesday at the Welcome rotonda at the boundary of Quezon City and Manila. The 12-by-18-foot flag would be burned as part of the protest against the arrival of Bush. Militants earlier said that they would be burning American flags aside from street actions for the coming of the US President. Government forces had been placed on alert for the protests and the Bureau of Immigration Tuesday warned foreigners against joining the protests. | |||||
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