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| November 24, 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. * * * WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR NOVEMBER 24, 2003 1//KurdishMedia.com, UK--TURKEY'S KURDS FEAR FALLOUT FROM ISTANBUL BLASTS (Turkey's Kurds are fearful that security clampdowns after the Istanbul bombings could lead to intensified operations against Kurdish rebels and deal a blow to their recently-won freedoms... Although no one has blamed Kurds for last week's truck bombings, reports that the bombers were Islamist extremists from the Kurdish town of Bingol has unnerved the community just as it was starting to enjoy relative peace and greater cultural freedom after years of bloody fighting...At least 12 million Kurds live mainly in the southeast of Turkey, a sizeable minority in this country of 70 million.) 2//Yemen Times, Yemen--OUR VIEWPOINT: WHY AMERICA WILL FAIL IN IRAQ (Bush will certainly work on the elections and make it his priority. And how he performs in Iraq will be critical. But assuming he wins against all those odds, and gains the trust of the people in the elections, and hence continues his plans for Iraq, then he will have to pray for a post-election Iraq strategy, and that is even more challenging. The reason is simple: Money. In a time of instability, insecurity, violence and hatred towards American forces, bringing investors and reconstructing Iraq will prove extremely difficult.) 3//The Independent, UK--CHIRAC AND BLAIR AIM FOR NEW ENTENTE (Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac will make a major effort to repair frayed relations between Britain and France during a summit in London tomorrow. In contrast to the state visit by George Bush, the meeting between the two European leaders will involve a great deal of detailed negotiation, with a minimum of ceremony and no street demonstrations.) 4//The Moscow Times, Russia--MOST VOTERS DON'T CARE, SURVEY FINDS (With a little over two weeks to go before State Duma elections, a poll has found that 12 percent of Russians think that United Russia has performed best in televised campaign debates -- despite the fact that the pro-Kremlin party has refused to participate in them. As well as revealing confusion among voters between debates and appearances on regular news programs, the poll, published late last week by the independent VTsIOM-A agency, found that 70 percent of respondents had little or no interest in the election campaign...Oleg Savelyev, a sociologist with VTsIOM-A, said that interest in the campaign, and television debates devoted to it, is low because many believe the outcome of the elections has already been decided. 5//Inter Press Service, Italy--ANALYSIS: FTTA GOES "LITE" BUT U.S. STILL TRADE HEAVYWEIGHT (The scaled down plan given the nod at the end of a meeting here Thursday on a proposed pan-American common market marks a U.S. retreat on its ambitious trade policies in the western hemisphere but Washington's new aggressive push for bilateral deals could be a greater threat to the region's developing countries.) *** 1//KurdishMedia.com 23/11/2003 TURKEY'S KURDS FEAR FALLOUT FROM ISTANBUL BLASTS DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Nov 23 (AFP) - 15h13 - Turkey's Kurds are fearful that security clampdowns after the Istanbul bombings could lead to intensified operations against Kurdish rebels and deal a blow to their recently-won freedoms. "Is it our fate to be associated with terrorism? Are we going back to the old days of conflict?" an anxious Kurdish vendor asked as he stood at his vegetable stall outside an ancient castle in this impoverished Kurdish city. Although no one has blamed Kurds for last week's truck bombings, reports that the bombers were Islamist extremists from the Kurdish town of Bingol has unnerved the community just as it was starting to enjoy relative peace and greater cultural freedom after years of bloody fighting. The Turkish authorities have associated "terrorism" with Kurdish violence -- and even with peaceful advocacy of Kurdish rights -- ever since the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) took up arms for self-rule in 1984, with the conflict claiming some 36,500 lives. But eager to boost its chances of joining the European Union, Turkey has in recent months granted its sizeable Kurdish minority a measure of cultural freedom and once daily clashes between the army and the rebels are now rare. "We were happy that the atmosphere was improving, but now we are worried again," said the Diyarbakir vendor Kenan Yilmaz. (SNIP) At least 12 million Kurds live mainly in the southeast of Turkey, a sizeable minority in this country of 70 million. "We are worried that we may get to a stage where our basic rights and liberties will be restricted because of security measures but in the long run we expect the government to continue its democracy drive to join the European Union," said Husnu Ondul, chairman of the Human Rights Association. (MORE)
OUR VIEWPOINT: WHY AMERICA WILL FAIL IN IRAQ There are dozens of reasons why America will fail in Iraq. Among the reasons is that Iraqi people hate the USA. Hence, if the US is truthful in opening the way for real democracy, there should be no surprise if the representatives of the new government are anti-Americans who don't want the Americans to benefit from its oil and reconstruction projects. This is why many doubt that the US will allow true, free elections. They wouldn't be in its favor. On the other hand, assuming that America will be able to overcome all its current obstacles in Iraq, including a growing resistance movement and hostility of, many believe the US will have a hard time maneuvering in such harsh conditions, and amid presidential elections, which will have Iraq and the economy on the agenda. Bush will certainly work on the elections and make it his priority. And how he performs in Iraq will be critical. But assuming he wins against all those odds, and gains the trust of the people in the elections, and hence continues his plans for Iraq, then he will have to pray for a post-election Iraq strategy, and that is even more challenging. The reason is simple: Money. In a time of instability, insecurity, violence and hatred towards American forces, bringing investors and reconstructing Iraq will prove extremely difficult. Then again, this means that the hopes would lie on the transitional government to rule the country until 2005. But this cannot be a guarantee. It is a reason to worry because most Iraqis cannot tolerate figures in the current governing council such as Ahmad Chalabi and Talbani. Most Iraqis believe that those two US loyalists will fail to be decision-makers in Iraq if elections were held in a democratic fashion. On the other hand, many Shiites in the south support religious scholars who are anti-American. They will definitely vote for them and would hence expect that they would make all the decisions necessary to prevent the US from taking over their oil or implementing its projects, which they may think as a means to 'Westernize' the country. In other words, there is very little hope that a democratically elected government would work in the way the USA wants it to work, because the USA has many bills to pay, many loans to disburse, and many plans to apply. Besides, there are money-related issues in getting all the grants given by the US tax-payers back to the US. (MORE)
CHIRAC AND BLAIR AIM FOR NEW ENTENTE Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac will make a major effort to repair frayed relations between Britain and France during a summit in London tomorrow. In contrast to the state visit by George Bush, the meeting between the two European leaders will involve a great deal of detailed negotiation, with a minimum of ceremony and no street demonstrations. President Chirac will seek to reassure the Prime Minister that his recent proposal for a Franco-German union is not intended to freeze the UK out of a leading role in Europe. Mr Blair will also be anxious to hear him say that there will be no referendum in France on the proposed EU constitution. (SNIP) But Mr Blair and Mr Chirac now have a strong mutual interest in being seen to get along. From the French side, Britain is the obvious first stepping stone in the slow business of rebuilding bridges across the Atlantic. Tomorrow he will repeat France's offers to make a modest contribution to the reconstruction of Iraq. There is no prospect yet of it sending combat troops but there is an offer to help train the new Iraqi army and police force. (MORE)
MOST VOTERS DON'T CARE, SURVEY FINDS With a little over two weeks to go before State Duma elections, a poll has found that 12 percent of Russians think that United Russia has performed best in televised campaign debates -- despite the fact that the pro-Kremlin party has refused to participate in them. As well as revealing confusion among voters between debates and appearances on regular news programs, the poll, published late last week by the independent VTsIOM-A agency, found that 70 percent of respondents had little or no interest in the election campaign. Analysts said the results showed just how little Russians care about the parliamentary elections and predicted a low turnout at polling stations on Dec. 7. The poll, conducted among some 1,600 people in 40 regions, showed that 42 percent of respondents have no interest in television debates, billboards, posters or leaflets devoted to the campaign. Twenty-eight percent said they are not really interested in the campaign, while 23 percent said they are interested to a certain degree and only 6 percent admitted to being interested in the campaign. Oleg Savelyev, a sociologist with VTsIOM-A, said that interest in the campaign, and television debates devoted to it, is low because many believe the outcome of the elections has already been decided. "Many people are indifferent to the campaign because they think they already know the results," Savelyev said by telephone Friday. (MORE)
ANALYSIS:
FTTA GOES "LITE" BUT U.S. STILL TRADE
HEAVYWEIGHT MIAMI, Nov 21 (IPS) - The scaled down plan given the nod at the end of a meeting here Thursday on a proposed pan-American common market marks a U.S. retreat on its ambitious trade policies in the western hemisphere but Washington's new aggressive push for bilateral deals could be a greater threat to the region's developing countries. (SNIP) (SNIP) As officials from the office of the U.S. trade representative continued Friday to insist the meeting was a success, economists said its outcome will certainly exasperate anxious U.S. business executives who are pushing to open up Latin American markets to their products in a single strike, and buttress civil society groups and unions that opposed the deal from the onset. "U.S. negotiators may try to put a happy face on the Miami talks, but the 'FTAA lite' deal will not please the big business lobby that has been the driving force behind the proposed trade pact," said Sarah Anderson of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington. "By allowing countries to opt out of obligations on investment and other contentious issues, U.S. negotiators have dashed the Fortune 500's hopes of gaining new investment opportunities and protections in Brazil, South America's largest economy," she added Friday. But the National Association of Manufacturers, a powerful U.S. business group, was more upbeat. In a statement the association said Thursday's outcome avoided having "the door slam shut, and gives us a chance for what can still be a very high quality agreement''. Critics of the proposed FTAA say it threatens public health, the environment and workers' rights by giving overwhelming powers to large corporations and by pushing a sell-off of essential public services like health care, education and water. (MORE) | |||||
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