 |
||||||
| May 7, 2004 |
||||||
World Media Watch by Gloria R. Lalumia BUZZFLASH NOTE: WMW provides BuzzFlash readers foreign views and perspectives that are not usually available from the media here in the U.S. The presentation of these articles from these international publications is not an endorsement of their viewpoints. * * * WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR MAY 7, 2004 1/The Independent, UK--BLAIR ACCUSED OF APPOINTING SCARLETT TO HEAD MI6 AS 'PAY-OFF' FOR DODGY DOSSIER' (Tony Blair was under fire from all sides last night after appointing John Scarlett, who approved the "dodgy dossier" on Iraq, as the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. Senior Labour backbench MPs joined Liberal Democrats and Tory leaders in accusing the Prime Minister of appointing Mr Scarlett as "the pay-off' for his support for the Government over the allegations that No 10 had "sexed up" the September 2002 dossier on weapons of mass destruction.) 2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--'RED CROSS DEMANDED CORRECTIVE ACTION ON DETAINEES' (The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Thursday that it had repeatedly asked the United States to take "corrective action" at the US-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq following visits carried out since August 2003. "The ICRC, aware of the situation in Abu Ghraib and based on its findings, has repeatedly requested the US authorities to take corrective action," the humanitarian agency said on its Internet site..."We had the feeling that our reports were taken seriously by the Americans. Even if they might not have had an effect immediately, they did not fall on deaf ears," Notari added...However, Notari flatly rejected proposals from the new US prison commander in Iraq, General Geoffrey Miller, for a permanent ICRC presence at Abu Ghraib. "We have a role in checking, but it's not up to us to ensure that the rights of prisoners are respected," she added.) 3//Inter
Press Service News Agency, Italy--U.N. RIGHTS
COMMISSION SHIRKS CHANCE TO REDEEM ITSELF
(The United Nations Commission on Human Rights,
which during its April sessions kept mum on the
abuses committed in Iraq, will once again avoid
the issue in late May when it is to receive a report
on the Iraq situation, say sources close to the
matter...The United States blocked debate on the
human rights situation in Iraq during the Commission's
annual six-week sessions, which ended Apr. 23,
and "there is little chance now, after recent
incidents, that they would agree to any attempt
at monitoring," said a diplomat from a developing
country, speaking on condition of anonymity.) * * * 1//The
Independent, UK 07 May 2004 BLAIR ACCUSED OF APPOINTING SCARLETT TO HEAD MI6
AS 'PAY-OFF' FOR DODGY DOSSIER' Tony Blair was under fire from all sides last night after appointing John Scarlett, who approved the "dodgy dossier" on Iraq, as the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6. Senior Labour backbench MPs joined Liberal Democrats and Tory leaders in accusing the Prime Minister of appointing Mr Scarlett as "the pay-off' for his support for the Government over the allegations that No 10 had "sexed up" the September 2002 dossier on weapons of mass destruction. Mr Scarlett, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, who takes over as "C" from Sir Richard Dearlove, was a vital witness for the Government in the Hutton inquiry, which cleared Mr Blair, senior ministers and officials of exaggerating the threat from Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. Alastair Campbell, Mr Blair's former director of communications, who was also cleared by the Hutton inquiry, called Mr Scarlett a "mate". There have been persistent reports of disquiet within MI6 at the prospect of Mr Scarlett taking over from the outgoing chief, Sir Richard. It had been widely assumed that the deputy head of the service, Nigel Inkster, would be the successor. "John Scarlett has got his reward," said Diane Abbott, the Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. "He was the firewall between the intelligence and security service and No 10. He was the person that stepped up and said there was no pressure put on the intelligence and security service to sex up the dossier; he was the one who said it was totally neutral, even though we know now that there were concerns in the intelligence services. It is too much of a coincidence." (MORE)
'RED CROSS DEMANDED CORRECTIVE ACTION ON DETAINEES' GENEVA (AFP) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Thursday that it had repeatedly asked the United States to take "corrective action" at the US-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq following visits carried out since August 2003. "The ICRC, aware of the situation in Abu Ghraib and based on its findings, has repeatedly requested the US authorities to take corrective action," the humanitarian agency said on its Internet site. The prison is at the centre of an international uproar since photographs emerged depicting the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by the US military. Prison authorities were given an immediate account after each visit by ICRC staff and reports were also sent to civilian and military authorities in Washington, spokeswoman Antonella Notari told AFP. She reiterated that measures were taken by the United States following the agency's reports. "It's in the public domain: People were suspended and investigations were started," she said. "We had the feeling that our reports were
taken seriously by the Americans. Even if they
might not have had an effect immediately, they
did not fall on deaf ears," Notari added. Powell said he had spoken by telephone Thursday to ICRC chief Jakob Kellenberger to assure him that allegations of abuse would be dealt with. Notari again gave no further details on what its staff had observed there or heard during interviews with prisoners, which is in keeping with the ICRC's practice of confidentiality. Under its internal rules the agency does not make public comments about its reports except as a last resort if there is no action taken on bad conditions or mistreatment. However, Notari flatly rejected proposals from the new US prison commander in Iraq, General Geoffrey Miller, for a permanent ICRC presence at Abu Ghraib. "We have a role in checking, but it's not up to us to ensure that the rights of prisoners are respected," she added. Red Cross staff carried out visits to Abu Ghraib to check on conditions there every five to six weeks from the time the US began to detain people there. (SNIP) A former top legal official at the ICRC, Yves Sandoz, told AFP that there was no hard and fast rule about when the organisation should make its findings public, with operational staff judging "the interest of the victims". "There is a moment when there are intolerable things, especially if they are not known from elsewhere, that the ICRC may go public," Sandoz, who now teaches humanitarian law, explained.
U.N. RIGHTS COMMISSION SHIRKS CHANCE TO REDEEM
ITSELF
The new report comes amidst denunciations that members of the U.S. and British occupying forces have tortured Iraqi inmates. The United States blocked debate on the human rights situation in Iraq during the Commission's annual six-week sessions, which ended Apr. 23, and "there is little chance now, after recent incidents, that they would agree to any attempt at monitoring," said a diplomat from a developing country, speaking on condition of anonymity. The interim U.N. High Commission for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, announced Thursday that an investigation by his office of the military and security situation, including acts of terrorism, in Iraq -- occupied by U.S.-led forces since March 2003 -- would be presented to the Commission on May 31. The document will also contain an evaluation of civilian protection efforts, the treatment of detainees, and the status of the internally displaced population, and women and children. Ramcharan's initiative differentiates the stance of U.N. officials and experts in the human rights area from that taken by the U.N. member states in general, and by the 53 sitting on the Commission in particular. Ramcharan himself said he was "perplexed and concerned" by the omission of the debate on Iraq from the Commission's agenda last month and stressed there is no international oversight of the human rights situation in that country in regards to terrorism, use of force and treatment of civilians. Other experts at the U.N. expressed concern when they learned of the images of torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners committed by members of the U.S. and British occupying forces. (MORE)
RP MILITARY AS FRACTURED AS SOCIETY IT DEFENDS Whoever wins Monday's presidential contest, the military lurks in the background, a Jekyll and Hyde force that has both protected democracy and been its most serious threat. Throughout the campaign, rumors have swirled of plots to destabilize the administration of whichever candidate wins. One rumor, which had wide circulation in March, said that should the movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. win, he would be replaced with a 15-man military junta. National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales Thursday turned the tables, accusing Poe supporters, military and ex-military of being behind a plot to discredit the election results should President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo win. He gave no evidence to support the allegation but it underlined the delicate balance that exists between the military and the democratic process it is sworn to uphold in the Southeast Asian nation. Of the four presidents since dictator Ferdinand Marcos fled 18 years ago, only one entered office via an election and left at the end of his six-year year term, Fidel Ramos. Corazon Aquino's first post-Marcos government endured seven coup attempts while Joseph Estrada's term was cut short by a military coup backed by the country's elites in January 2001. Ramos, a former deputy chief of staff under Marcos, had the advantage of having a strong military background, which enabled him to keep the Armed Forces in check. Macapagal-Arroyo owes her political life to the military as without its support she would have found it difficult to oust the popularly elected former movie star Estrada. (SNIP) Carlos says there are elements within the military that openly support Macapagal-Arroyo and there are those who support her main challenger Fernando Poe, Jr. (SNIP) Since the overthrow of Marcos, many officers have gone on to run revenue-generating public agencies and government-owned corporations while others such as charismatic coup leader Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan swapped his fatigues for a suit and entered politics. According to Glenda Gloria in her study, "Out of the Barracks," many officers have become embedded in the patronage system, blurring the line between civil and military institutions. To some extent politicians, such as Macapagal-Arroyo, have sought such loyalties for their own survival. But even Macapagal-Arroyo could not prevent the military revolt in Manila last July by 321 junior officers and soldiers. (MORE)
PUTIN SWORN IN FOR 2ND TERM President Vladimir Putin will be sworn in for a second term Friday in an elaborate ceremony whose invited guests will include lawmakers and foreign ambassadors -- but apparently not liberal politicians. The hour-long ceremony, which will be broadcast live on Channel One, Rossia and TV Center, starts at noon in the Kremlin's ornate Andreyevsky Hall, once the throne room of the tsar. Putin will place his hand on a leather-bound copy of the Constitution and swear to serve the people and defend Russia's independence. (SNIP) The inauguration has already attracted some criticism, with a leader in the liberal Yabloko party accusing the Kremlin of using it to reward Putin supporters and snub the opposition. Among those not invited are Yabloko leaders Sergei Mitrokhin and Sergei Ivanenko and former presidential candidate Irina Khakamada, Mitrokhin said. "The protocol department has its own perception of who should be invited, and political loyalty probably plays a big role," Mitroikhin told Ekho Moskvy radio. A Kremlin spokeswoman denied the allegation Thursday. Some 1,700 guests, including State Duma deputies, Federation Council senators and foreign ambassadors, will gather in the Kremlin for the ceremony, the spokeswoman said. Putin also invited friends and former teachers to his first inauguration, but the spokeswoman could not say who exactly he had invited to Friday's ceremony. "He can invite whoever he likes," she said. Four years ago, Putin walked down a red carpet to the sound of trumpets and a standing ovation. (MORE) | ||||||
|
©2004, Gloria R. Lalumia, insight@zianet.com Radio for the Left at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical/radio.htm BACK TO TOP |
||||||
 |
||||
| DAILY BUZZ | ||||
| INTERVIEWS | ||||
| ANALYSIS | ||||
| MEDIA LINKS | ||||
|
Unless
otherwise noted, all original |
 |
|||
