January 9, 2004

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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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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR JANUARY 9, 2004

1//The Independent, UK--HOWARD'S STRATEGY PAYS OFF AS BLAIR SQUIRMS IN SPOTLIGHT (The matter of David Kelly took up just five minutes and 11 seconds of Prime Minister's Questions yesterday. But no one who saw and heard what happened was left in any doubt that they had witnessed a pivotal moment...Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, is seen as the most likely casualty when Lord Hutton's report comes out later this month. But Mr Howard has privately stated he was after a bigger scalp. Soon after taking over as party leader he set up a team to examine the Prime Minister's role in the matter. The aim was to keep the spotlight on him as much as possible. If Mr Blair is shown to have misled Parliament, Tory MPs point out, it would be a matter for resignation.)

2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--KURDS START TO ROCK THE BOAT (- Tensions over Iraqi Kurd demands for substantial autonomy within a future sovereign Iraq are causing unrest in northern Iraq and growing unease among Iraq's neighbors. In the latest of a string of violent incidents in the northern city of Kirkuk, unidentified attackers fired a rocket at the headquarters of one of the two main Kurdish factions, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)...Both Syria and Turkey reportedly fear that creation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq would inspire their own Kurdish minorities to seek greater freedoms. Ankara recently quashed a 15-year rebellion seeking Kurdish-self rule in southern Turkey that claimed more than 36,000 lives.)

3//Deusche-Welle/dw-Worlde.de, Germany--EU SPLIT OVER SKY MARSHALS (A U.S. government demand that foreign airlines put armed marshals on selected flights to and from the U.S. is putting European airlines opposed to the practice under pressure and creating yet another transatlantic row. Ireland, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, has said it plans to hold a summit of EU aviation officials to resolve the crisis between Europe and the U.S. over the deployment of armed air marshals on certain transatlantic flights...The U.S. demands have created controversy in its traditional ally Britain, where government officials defended the additional security measures despite opposition from British pilots, who fear the presence of armed air marshals could create more danger on transatlantic flights.)

4//The Scotsman, Scotland--BRITISH FIRMS RISK LOSING OUT ON IRAQ MILLIONS (British firms risk missing out on hundreds of millions of pounds worth of contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq because they have failed to sign up for two trade shows where dozens of other countries will be competing for a share of the lucrative deals. Billed as "the largest commercial opportunity in recent history", the chance to secure a share of the billions of dollars on offer has attracted interest from around the world... In its promotional material, Outreach urges companies to "join Bechtel and other companies from the US, the Middle East and around the globe to exhibit your products and services, learn the requirements for subcontractors and partners, and meet other companies as part of the largest commercial opportunity in recent history.")

5//The Turkish Daily News, Turkey--US FIRM PROPOSES BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER JOINT PRODUCTION (A U.S. helicopter manufacturer has proposed that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) become involved in the joint production of Black Hawk helicopters, the U.S. company's chief official in Turkey said Wednesday...Negotiations with TAI will resume in February, and United Technologies expects a deal to be reached by the end of March, Brown said. He said the project would give Turkey an important opportunity to boost employment and expand defense industry capabilities in addition to providing significant technology transfer from the United States to Turkey.)

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1//The Independent 08 January 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=479071

HOWARD'S STRATEGY PAYS OFF AS BLAIR SQUIRMS IN SPOTLIGHT
By Kim Sengupta and Andrew Grice

The matter of David Kelly took up just five minutes and 11 seconds of Prime Minister's Questions yesterday. But no one who saw and heard what happened was left in any doubt that they had witnessed a pivotal moment.

Afterwards, the Conservatives were exultantly claiming their strategy had worked. Tony Blair was edgy, strained and uncomfortable. Michael Howard had put Tony Blair where he least wanted to be - centre stage in the Kelly affair.

Even less partisan observers agreed that Mr Blair was very much on the defensive as he faced a well-prepared and hostile barrage from the Opposition leader over his precise part in the exposure of Dr Kelly's identity.

Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, is seen as the most likely casualty when Lord Hutton's report comes out later this month. But Mr Howard has privately stated he was after a bigger scalp. Soon after taking over as party leader he set up a team to examine the Prime Minister's role in the matter. The aim was to keep the spotlight on him as much as possible. If Mr Blair is shown to have misled Parliament, Tory MPs point out, it would be a matter for resignation.

(MORE)

2//Asia Times Online January 8, 2004
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FA08Ak02.html

KURDS START TO ROCK THE BOAT
By Charles Recknagel
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

PRAGUE - Tensions over Iraqi Kurd demands for substantial autonomy within a future sovereign Iraq are causing unrest in northern Iraq and growing unease among Iraq's neighbors. In the latest of a string of violent incidents in the northern city of Kirkuk, unidentified attackers fired a rocket at the headquarters of one of the two main Kurdish factions, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

The attack comes after some 2,000 Arabs and Turkish-speaking Turkomans last week surrounded the PUK's head office to protest Kurdish calls for autonomy and demand that Kirkuk remain under the control of the central government in Baghdad.

(SNIP)

Emotions have run high in Kirkuk ever since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in April brought a dramatic change in its status.

After decades of a Saddam-era "Arabization" program that forced out much of its Kurdish population and replaced it with Arab settlers from elsewhere in the country, Kirkuk is now firmly under Kurdish control. The city has a Kurdish mayor brought to power when Kurdish fighters swept in on the heels of Saddam's retreating army, and former Kurdish refugees are returning home. Many Arabs and Turkomans accuse the Kurds of grabbing power, while the Kurds say that they are regaining lost rights.

Now, tensions could be ratcheted even higher as Kurdish representatives on the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) press for adopting a federal system in which Kurdish-controlled areas would have a large degree of authority over security, taxes and revenues from local oil fields. They hope to see that authority framed within the "transitional law" the IGC is drafting to serve as a temporary constitution paving the way for a sovereign Iraqi government to take power at the end of June.

(SNIP)

Both Syria and Turkey reportedly fear that creation of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq would inspire their own Kurdish minorities to seek greater freedoms. Ankara recently quashed a 15-year rebellion seeking Kurdish-self rule in southern Turkey that claimed more than 36,000 lives.

3//Deusche-Welle/dw-Worlde.de 08.01.2004
http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1433_A_1081739_1_A,00.html

EU SPLIT OVER SKY MARSHALS

A U.S. government demand that foreign airlines put armed marshals on selected flights to and from the U.S. is putting European airlines opposed to the practice under pressure and creating yet another transatlantic row.

Ireland, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, has said it plans to hold a summit of EU aviation officials to resolve the crisis between Europe and the U.S. over the deployment of armed air marshals on certain transatlantic flights.

Several EU member states -- including Sweden, Denmark, and Portugal -- have said they oppose the new regulations, which are part of the U.S. government's tighter security precautions aimed to prevent a terrorist attack similar to that on Sept. 11, 2001.

(SNIP)

Air marshals not new in Europe

Some European airlines, however, are taking the new U.S. directive in stride. The German carrier Lufthansa, for example, has been deploying air marshals on some flights since October 2001. Shortly after the Sept.11 terrorist attacks, Germany's Federal Border Guard assembled a troop of around 100 marshals to accompany randomly selected Lufthansa flights to North American destinations. So far the marshals have never had cause to intervene.

(SNIP)

British pilots unhappy

The U.S. demands have created controversy in its traditional ally Britain, where government officials defended the additional security measures despite opposition from British pilots, who fear the presence of armed air marshals could create more danger on transatlantic flights.

" The thought that you have got people behind you in a pressurized cabin with guns and bullets is not a happy thought," said a spokesman for the British pilot's association, BALPA. "But if the government persists, we want certain conditions laid down."

(MORE)

4//The Scotsman Thu 8 Jan 2004
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/index.cfm?id=23242004

BRITISH FIRMS RISK LOSING OUT ON IRAQ MILLIONS
Gethin Chamberlain
Diplomatic Correspondent

BRITISH firms risk missing out on hundreds of millions of pounds worth of contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq because they have failed to sign up for two trade shows where dozens of other countries will be competing for a share of the lucrative deals.

Billed as "the largest commercial opportunity in recent history", the chance to secure a share of the billions of dollars on offer has attracted interest from around the world.

The Outreach 2004 show opening in Jordan next week is being marketed as the first post-war, United States government-supported trade fair in the Middle East focused on the regeneration of business in Iraq. It also has the backing of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), which currently runs Iraq, and the major US firms already awarded multi-billion dollar contracts, which will also be present at the Rebuilding Iraq 2004 show that opens in Kuwait the following week.

But while German, Italian, Indian and even Romanian companies are flocking to the shows in the hope of securing a share of the business, Britain's attendance is minimal.

In Kuwait alone there will be more than 100 Italian firms, 54 German, 30 Indian, 19 Bulgarian and 35 from Denmark. Britain will be represented by just ten companies.

US corporations have not relied on their natural advantage in securing contracts from their own government. Firms including Bechtel, Microsoft, Boeing and Smith and Wesson have taken stands at the show in Jordan, while Britain's only representative will be the government-backed UK Trade and Investment group.

(SNIP)

Organisers of the Outreach show are promoting it as an opportunity to do business in post-war Iraq.

In its promotional material, Outreach urges companies to "join Bechtel and other companies from the US, the Middle East and around the globe to exhibit your products and services, learn the requirements for subcontractors and partners, and meet other companies as part of the largest commercial opportunity in recent history."

(MORE)

5//The Turkish Daily News 8 January 2004
http://www.turkishdailynews.com/FrTDN/latest/for.htm#f6

US FIRM PROPOSES BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER JOINT PRODUCTION
Ankara - Turkish Daily News

A U.S. helicopter manufacturer has proposed that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) become involved in the joint production of Black Hawk helicopters, the U.S. company's chief official in Turkey said Wednesday.

"We want to make Turkey a world center for production and distribution of the Black Hawk helicopters," Stuart V. Brown, general manager of Sikorsky/United Technologies International Operations in Turkey, was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

United Technologies' division responsible for the production of Sikorsky helicopters and TAI would work together to produce the Black Hawks, if TAI accepts the United Technologies proposal.

(SNIP)

United Technologies and TAI will jointly produce those models of the Black Hawk that are appropriate for non-military missions such as search-and-rescue, VIP transportation and firefighting, in addition to those designed for attack.

Negotiations with TAI will resume in February, and United Technologies expects a deal to be reached by the end of March, Brown said.

(SNIP)

He said the project would give Turkey an important opportunity to boost employment and expand defense industry capabilities in addition to providing significant technology transfer from the United States to Turkey.