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| March 15, 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. * * * WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR MARCH 15, 2004 1//The Scotsman, UK--IRAQ WAR PREPARATION WAS A 'SHAMBLES' (The British campaign in Iraq was crippled by "shambolic" preparations that led directly to the deaths of servicemen in the field, a damning report by MPs will declare this week. The extensive review - which represents the most damaging criticism yet of the war - finds that defence chiefs committed a raft of planning blunders and mistakes in the lead-up to war, leaving their troops hopelessly exposed to attack... The report, written by Westminster's Labour-dominated Defence Committee, is published this week on the eve of the first anniversary of last year's strikes on Iraq.) 2//TypicallySpanish.com, Spain-THE GENERAL ELECTION (Spain has clearly demonstrated her belief in democracy with a General Election on Sunday notable for its high turnout - 77%, and the choice of the Spanish people to punish the governing Partido Popular and give power to the PSOE Socialists...The result comes as a surprise - no poll forecasted such a turnaround and observers say that the tragic terrorist attack last Thursday in Madrid played a central part in the result...It's a harsh end to eight years in power for José María Aznar, considered by many to have given Spain four years of good government in his first term, but of letting an overall majority in the second term go to his head. His outright support for President Bush and Tony Blair in the war in Iraq was opposed by as many as 90% of the Spanish people, and the terrorist attack which killed 200 in Madrid last Thursday is seen as coming as a direct result of Spain's support for the war.) 3//The Australian, Australia--KEELTY CONTRADICTS PM ON IRAQ LINK (The nation's police chief, Mick Keelty, has contradicted a key government claim - that the terrorist threat against Australia had not been increased by its decision to commit troops to Iraq. In the wake of the Madrid bombings, Mr Keelty also echoed an assessment from other national security chiefs that terrorists would strike at Australia..."The reality is, if this turns out to be Islamic extremists responsible for this bombing in Spain, it's more likely to be linked to the position that Spain and other allies took on issues such as Iraq," Mr Keelty told the Nine Network's Sunday program. 4//The
Moscow Times, Russia--EDITORIAL: PUTIN TAKES
US BACK TO THE FUTURE (Even though Putin
is extremely popular and would surely have won
anyway in a relatively free and fair election,
the Kremlin felt the need for heavy-handed intervention
in the electoral process, which was mitigated only
by an effort to provide a few rival candidates,
such as Irina Khakamada and Nikolai Kharitonov,
with token television coverage. The Kremlin's behavior
not only reveals the degree of its occupants' insecurity,
it also provides a clear indication that Putin
and his entourage are playing for keeps in a game
that stretches to 2008 and well beyond. The system
of "managed democracy" in place has a
natural tendency towards heavy-handedness because
nothing can be left to chance -- and that means
keeping a tight lid on any rival candidate, such
as Sergei Glazyev, who could conceivably become
a threat to Putin installing his chosen successor
in 2008.) * * * 1//The
Scotsman Sun 14 Mar 2004 IRAQ WAR PREPARATION WAS A 'SHAMBLES' The British campaign in Iraq was crippled by "shambolic" preparations that led directly to the deaths of servicemen in the field, a damning report by MPs will declare this week. The extensive review - which represents the most damaging criticism yet of the war - finds that defence chiefs committed a raft of planning blunders and mistakes in the lead-up to war, leaving their troops hopelessly exposed to attack. The MPs conclude that their failures led directly to the death of at least one British serviceman - tank commander Steven Roberts, who was shot dead during a riot after he had been forced to give up crucial ceramic plates from his body armour. The report, written by Westminster's Labour-dominated Defence Committee, is published this week on the eve of the first anniversary of last year's strikes on Iraq. It will pile pressure on Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and senior chiefs at the Ministry of Defence. While attention so far has focused on the political arguments about the conflict, the report lifts the lid on grave concerns over how Operation Telic was conducted on the ground, including: o Planning blunders which meant that UK commanders were not sufficiently prepared for an invasion of southern Iraq after Turkey's refusal to co-operate ruled out the possibility of attacking from the north; o Communication breakdowns among British commanders and their American counterparts, which meant that many practical problems experienced on the ground in Iraq went unheeded; o Serious mistakes made in the effort to equip British troops for the campaign, with vital kit going missing en route to the Gulf, and further equipment reaching the theatre of battle but left unused because commanders on the ground did not know where it was. One source close to the committee said last night: "This is an unusually critical report because it was hard for us to be otherwise. I suspect that the majority of the committee was in favour of the decision to go to war, but appalled at the practical preparations for it. The people on the ground were as excellent as usual, but they were let down by the ones in charge." (MORE)
TODAY'S SPAIN NEWS ROUND UP-THE GENERAL ELECTION Spain has clearly demonstrated her belief in democracy with a General Election on Sunday notable for its high turnout - 77%, and the choice of the Spanish people to punish the governing Partido Popular and give power to the PSOE Socialists. With 99.06% of the votes counted the result was
as follows: It now remains for the new President of the government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to start talking pacts with the smaller and nationalist parties to ensure a new stable left wing government. The result comes as a surprise - no poll forecasted such a turnaround and observers say that the tragic terrorist attack last Thursday in Madrid played a central part in the result. What is seen as the poor handling of the terrorist attack by the Interior Minister, Angel Acebes, harshly blaming ETA for the attack when later evidence was to show that it was Islamic extremists who were responsible. The opposition and media seized on this, accusing the government of a lack of transparency and even of lying to the Spanish people. The people responded and the Partido Popular is no longer in power. It's a harsh end to eight years in power for José María Aznar, considered by many to have given Spain four years of good government in his first term, but of letting an overall majority in the second term go to his head. His outright support for President Bush and Tony Blair in the war in Iraq was opposed by as many as 90% of the Spanish people, and the terrorist attack which killed 200 in Madrid last Thursday is seen as coming as a direct result of Spain's support for the war. The PP candidate Mariano Rajoy is considered not have been allowed to run his own campaign, remaining under the instruction of Aznar. His political career would look to be at an end, and he is expected to stand down at the next PP conference at the start of next year. (SNIP) The PP candidate, Mariano Rajoy, congratulated Zapatero on his victory and promised full support in the hand over of power. He said the PP was leaving with 'clean hands and clear accounts'. PP supporters were indignant, claiming the result was an injustice after eight years of 'impeccable' government. He was supported in his hour of defeat by José María Aznar who attended the PP headquarters in Calle Genoa, but who did not speak to the media or supporters. (MORE)
KEELTY CONTRADICTS PM ON IRAQ LINK The nation's police chief, Mick Keelty, has contradicted a key government claim - that the terrorist threat against Australia had not been increased by its decision to commit troops to Iraq. In the wake of the Madrid bombings, Mr Keelty also echoed an assessment from other national security chiefs that terrorists would strike at Australia. Mr Howard and his senior ministers have strongly
denied that the Government's support for the US-led
campaign in Iraq had increased the security threat
to Australia. "The reality is, if this turns out to be Islamic extremists responsible for this bombing in Spain, it's more likely to be linked to the position that Spain and other allies took on issues such as Iraq," Mr Keelty told the Nine Network's Sunday program. "And I don't think anyone's been hiding the fact that we do believe that ultimately one day, whether it be in one month's time, one year's time, or 10 years' time, something will happen."
EDITORIAL: PUTIN TAKES US BACK TO THE FUTURE Vladimir Putin's victory in Sunday's presidential election was as predictable as it was overwhelming, although early returns showed the result falling well short of the Kremlin's reported goal of securing the support of 50 percent plus of the entire electorate. However, the farcical nature of this predetermined ballot ("vybory bez vybora") casts a long shadow over the legitimacy of Putin's second term. The president's appeal to the country to get out and vote, broadcast just days before the election -- and repeated ad nauseam on state-controlled television -- was a particularly rich spectacle. Having done his level best to produce an election devoid of any competition or substance, Putin called on voters to exercise their constitutional right, saying: "The vote of each and everyone one of us has enormous importance. ... Only citizens' support will make it possible to determine the country's course for years to come. ... Participation in elections is a unique opportunity to influence the course of events in the country." This sounded particularly cynical following an election campaign in which the president did not condescend to campaign, refused to participate in televised debates and did not even present a proper election manifesto. The Kremlin kept tight control of media coverage and just about every other aspect of the election. Even though Putin is extremely popular and would surely have won anyway in a relatively free and fair election, the Kremlin felt the need for heavy-handed intervention in the electoral process, which was mitigated only by an effort to provide a few rival candidates, such as Irina Khakamada and Nikolai Kharitonov, with token television coverage. The
Kremlin's behavior not only reveals the degree
of its occupants' insecurity, it also provides
a clear indication that Putin and his entourage
are playing for keeps in a game that stretches
to 2008 and well beyond. The system of "managed
democracy" in place has a natural tendency
towards heavy-handedness because nothing can be
left to chance -- and that means keeping a tight
lid on any rival candidate, such as Sergei Glazyev,
who could conceivably become a threat to Putin
installing his chosen successor in 2008.
SAUDI ARABIA LIKELY TO HOLD MUNICIPAL COUNCIL
POLLS IN OCTOBER Saudi Arabia's first elections are likely to take place in October - and a decision on whether to give women the vote will be made soon, senior officials said yesterday. Nevertheless, a prominent media source told Gulf News that it is hard to expect elections to be held in October as it coincides with Ramadan. It is likely that the civic polls could be held before or after Ramadan, he said. Dr Saleh Al Malik, who is in a Shura Council delegation to London, confirmed October as the date, and told the Saudi Press Agency a decision on whether to allow women to vote in municipal polls "would not take a long time". The participation of women in the council is also under study, he said. The team is visiting Britain to explain the council's workings to officials and journalists. Dr Salih Al Omeir, who heads the delegation, said that Saudi Arabia did not "impose restrictions on women". (SNIP) "The experience of the Shura and the municipal elections will be a positive factor to generalise the idea of elections," he added. | ||||||
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