May 12, 2004

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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.

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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR MAY 12, 2004

1//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy--U.N. WARNED OF DEATH TRAP IN IRAQ (As the United Nations prepares to organise elections and help create a new interim government in Iraq starting in July, scepticism is growing about the wisdom of risking U.N. lives in a country swirling in violence and chaos. The U.N. mission in Iraq is bound to fail, predict many Middle East analysts and U.N. staffers, because the world body is being increasingly viewed ''not as an independent broker but as a glorified sub-contractor to the United States''. ''Keep off Iraq,'' warns the 5,500-strong U.N. Staff Union, which has just adopted a unanimous resolution urging the world body to take immediate additional steps to address ''the serious flaws in the security management system''.)

2//The Guardian, UK--CONSUMERS SEND ‘WARNING SIGN’ TO US BRANDS (Declining respect for American cultural values exacerbated by the crisis in Iraq is having a potentially disastrous effect on the image of US brands such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike and Microsoft, a new worldwide study of consumer attitudes has found…According to NOP World, which carried out the survey, a mixture of America's controversial involvement in Iraq, its handling of the "war against terrorism", corporate scandals such as WorldCom and its failure to sign up to the Kyoto environmental agreement, have all had a profoundly negative affect on the perception of US culture and its major brands. Tom Miller, the managing director of NOP World, said worsening attitudes to the county's products could damage US business.)

3//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--BLOODIEST ELECTIONS IN 2 DECADES (It was the country's bloodiest election campaign in over two decades and there was no sign of a let-up in the bloodletting. The Armed Forces and the national police remained on high alert Tuesday, saying the critical phase of Monday's polls was just beginning with the start of the canvass of votes around the country…The latest figures from the Armed Forces showed a total of 117 people had died in election-related incidents all over the country since the campaign season started on Dec. 15…Most of the violence this year has been blamed on private armed groups employed by local politicians. These groups allegedly included communist guerrillas hired to protect some politicians in Masbate province, the military said…The military warned against violence or massive protests linked to the elections and said it would use "necessary force" to maintain order if losing parties tried to stir up trouble.)

4//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--ELECTION ‘BETWEEN JULY AND NOVEMBER’

(Prime Minister John Howard today identified a five-month window between July and November when he would hold the federal election. But he said he was yet to make up his mind, despite last night's Budget being focussed on helping families and giving tax cuts ahead of the election…

Mr Howard said the election would be a tight battle for the coalition. "Nobody should be imagining that we're not still very much the underdog," he said.)

5//The Moscow Times, Russia--EDITORIAL: CHECHNYA IS LITMUS TEST FOR KREMLIN

(President Vladimir Putin has spared no energy in elevating Akhmad Kadyrov after his death and anointing his son as his spiritual successor. Within hours of the assassination, Putin had brought Ramzan Kadyrov to the Kremlin, where he told him and the entire nation that his late father was a "heroic man" who was leading Chechnya toward peace…Yet if he has hopes of installing Ramzan as president, the new Chechen Constitution would seem to rule this out. He is only 27, while the Constitution states that the president must be at least 30…The election to find a replacement for Kadyrov Sr. -- scheduled for September -- will be the first major test of Putin's newfound commitment to strengthening democracy. Since re-election, Putin has gone out of his way to emphasize the importance he attaches to bolstering democracy, civil society and the multi-party system -- not least in his inauguration speech.)

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1//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy May 11, 2004
http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=23699

U.N. WARNED OF DEATH TRAP IN IRAQ
Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (IPS) - As the United Nations prepares to organise elections and help create a new interim government in Iraq starting in July, scepticism is growing about the wisdom of risking U.N. lives in a country swirling in violence and chaos.

The U.N. mission in Iraq is bound to fail, predict many Middle East analysts and U.N. staffers, because the world body is being increasingly viewed ''not as an independent broker but as a glorified sub-contractor to the United States''.

''Keep off Iraq,'' warns the 5,500-strong U.N. Staff Union, which has just adopted a unanimous resolution urging the world body to take immediate additional steps to address ''the serious flaws in the security management system''.

''We are dismayed that Secretary-General (Kofi Annan) continues to send staff to Iraq despite the present highly volatile and insecure environment,'' the resolution said.

A new U.N. Security Council resolution, which is expected to be adopted before the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) withdraws from Baghdad on Jun. 30, will call for the creation of new multinational force for Iraq. But so far, there appear to be few volunteers.

India and Pakistan, two of the largest troop contributors to U.N. peacekeeping missions worldwide, have indicated they will not provide soldiers for any such force.

(SNIP)

Hans von Sponeck, a former head of the Oil-for-Food Programme, says ''a U.N.. mandate would be one of the few possible ways out of the current quagmire..''

''Such a mandate, however, is no option unless two fundamental pre-conditions are met: security conditions must permit a U.N. presence, and a U.N. role must be in no way dependent on the authority of the CPA.''

If neither of these pre-conditions is met, he argues, it would be irresponsible for the Security Council to allow a return of U.N. staff to Iraq.

''Lack of security would endanger U.N. lives, lack of a clear and independent mandate would further endanger the credibility of the United Nations,'' Von Sponeck added.

Award-winning journalist Naomi Klein says that 40 percent of U.S.-trained Iraqi soldiers have walked off the jobs, along with their weapons.

''There is a way the United Nations can redeem itself: it could choose to join the mutiny,'' adds Klein author of the best-seller 'No Logo'.

(MORE)

2//The Guardian, UK Tuesday May 11, 2004
http://www.worldpress.org/link.cfm?http://medi...

CONSUMERS SEND ‘WARNING SIGN’ TO US BRANDS

Patrick Barrett

Declining respect for American cultural values exacerbated by the crisis in Iraq is having a potentially disastrous effect on the image of US brands such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike and Microsoft, a new worldwide study of consumer attitudes has found.

The number of people who like and use US branded products has fallen significantly over the past year, while brands perceived to be non-American have remained relatively stable.

According to NOP World, which carried out the survey, a mixture of America's controversial involvement in Iraq, its handling of the "war against terrorism", corporate scandals such as WorldCom and its failure to sign up to the Kyoto environmental agreement, have all had a profoundly negative affect on the perception of US culture and its major brands.

Tom Miller, the managing director of NOP World, said worsening attitudes to the county's products could damage US business.

" It's not like there's a massive boycott," said Miller. "Instead, it seems to be an erosion of support. It's not falling off the face of the earth, but it is clearly a warning sign for brands."

NOP found the popularity and consumption of US products had declined for the first time since the research programme was launched in 1998.

Until 2002, NOP found that brands such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola were notching up healthy annual growth in terms of use and familiarity in international markets.

However, last year NOP discovered that the growth in popularity of all major consumer brands - including those from Europe and Asia - had stalled. Over the past 12 months the positive trend has gone into reverse, with US products hardest hit.

(MORE)

BLOODIEST ELECTIONS IN 2 DECADES
By Alcuin Papa and Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer News Service

The Armed Forces and the national police remained on high alert Tuesday, saying the critical phase of Monday's polls was just beginning with the start of the canvass of votes around the country.

"The counting and the canvassing are critical," Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, spokesperson for the Philippine National Police, told reporters. "We're not saying that there will be violence, but tension can develop anytime."

The latest figures from the Armed Forces showed a total of 117 people had died in election-related incidents all over the country since the campaign season started on Dec. 15.

In the 2001 elections, 111 died in political violence, the military said. Eighty-seven were killed in the 1998 presidential polls, 83 in the 1995 elections and 56 in 1992.

Marcos years

The death toll in this year's campaign even surpassed the number of people killed during the snap elections held in 1986 during the tumultuous last weeks of Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship.

Inquirer records showed 93 people were killed in the 1986 campaign.

(SNIP)

Most of the violence this year has been blamed on private armed groups employed by local politicians. These groups allegedly included communist guerrillas hired to protect some politicians in Masbate province, the military said.

Senior military and election officials had earlier described Monday's elections as "relatively peaceful."

Military warns against violence

The military warned against violence or massive protests linked to the elections and said it would use "necessary force" to maintain order if losing parties tried to stir up trouble.

The 113,000-strong military remains on high alert and "will not hesitate to implement its plan and employ the necessary force to maintain tranquility and order, particularly in Metropolitan Manila," Lucero was quoted as saying.

(MORE)

ELECTION ‘BETWEEN JULY AND NOVEMBER’

AAP

Prime Minister John Howard today identified a five-month window between July and November when he would hold the federal election.

But he said he was yet to make up his mind, despite last night's Budget being focussed on helping families and giving tax cuts ahead of the election.

"I haven't made up my mind when the election is going to be, it obviously has to be some time in the second half of this year, it could theoretically be in the early next year but that's not normal," Mr Howard told ABC radio.

(SNIP)

Mr Howard refused to give a timeframe of how long he would stay on as leader of the Liberal Party, except to guarantee Australians they would be going to the polls to vote for a Howard-led government.

"I will remain leader of the Liberal Party for so long as the party wants me to and it's in the best interest," he repeated for the umpteenth time.

(SNIP)

Mr Howard said the election would be a tight battle for the coalition.

"Nobody should be imagining that we're not still very much the underdog," he said.

(SNIP)

Mr Costello said a strong economy and low unemployment would help the coalition retain office.

"If we can run the economy well and that brings better job opportunities for Australians, then sure, that would help us in the election and that's what it's all about, economic management," he said.

EDITORIAL: CHECHNYA IS LITMUS TEST FOR KREMLIN

President Vladimir Putin has spared no energy in elevating Akhmad Kadyrov after his death and anointing his son as his spiritual successor. Within hours of the assassination, Putin had brought Ramzan Kadyrov to the Kremlin, where he told him and the entire nation that his late father was a "heroic man" who was leading Chechnya toward peace.

The next day, the younger Kadyrov was appointed first deputy prime minister of Chechnya. Then on Tuesday, Putin took a rare trip to Chechnya, where he presented the Kadyrov family with a posthumous Hero of Russia award for their patriarch. Upon his return to Moscow, he continued his praise of Kadyrov at a Cabinet meeting and signed a decree for his memory to be "immortalized."

(SNIP)

Putin clearly would like to keep the Kadyrov clan in power. If someone new were to come in, the whole system of power that Kadyrov had created would come unraveled.

Yet if he has hopes of installing Ramzan as president, the new Chechen Constitution would seem to rule this out. He is only 27, while the Constitution states that the president must be at least 30.

For this Chechens can only be thankful. Akhmad Kadyrov, as odious as his regime was, was able to hold his own against both the rebels and Moscow. But his thuggish and uneducated son, whose brutal security force has terrorized the civilian population, would be an unmitigated disaster.

The election to find a replacement for Kadyrov Sr. -- scheduled for September -- will be the first major test of Putin's newfound commitment to strengthening democracy. Since re-election, Putin has gone out of his way to emphasize the importance he attaches to bolstering democracy, civil society and the multi-party system -- not least in his inauguration speech.

So, will it be a rerun of the crudely manipulated election that ensured Kadyrov Sr.'s installation as president last October or will we see something resembling a real contest?

(MORE)