July 30, 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.

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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR JULY 30, 2004

1//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--HOW KERRY IS DIFFERENT - AND HOW HE ISN'T (Now that US Senator John Kerry has formally accept the nomination of the Democratic Party's presidential candidacy, a close look at his national-security policies is warranted...His prudence and changes of mind may be reasons he has not yet impressed the voters that his approach to US national-security policies would be notably different than that of Bush, even when the US presence in Iraq is becoming increasingly unpopular among voters...The US presidential election is notable in the sense that national-security concerns continue to be on top of voters' worry-list. Kerry will have to convince that his overall approach to national security, even if it is not that much different, will indeed result in the US getting more respect worldwide under his watch than under Bush's. Considering the recurring evidence of rising spirals of anti-Americanism not just in the Middle East, but also in Europe, that particular aspect of the Kerry difference would mean his election as America's next president.)

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon--IRAQ STUMBLES IN TAKING 1ST STEP TOWARD DEMOCRACY (It was intended as a baby step into participatory democracy, the country's first foray into nation-building. But Iraq's national conference is turning into a world-class embarrassment. Thursday, the conference was postponed for the second time, amid allegations of mismanagement and too little outreach. "No one knows what the national conference is," said Sheikh Fatih Kashif al-Ghitta, an independent Shiite political leader. "I am in Baghdad and my neighbors are university professors and they didn't hear about it. So what about the people in the provinces?")

3//The Independent, UK--NATO SCHEME TO TRAIN IRAQI SECURITY FORCES IS BLOCKED (France led a clutch of nations yesterday blocking Nato plans to train Iraqi security forces. The 26 Nato allies agreed last month in Istanbul to go ahead with a training programme, but the US and the French remain at odds over the interpretation of the accord. At issue is the extent of any Nato deployment inside Iraq. Despite three meetings yesterday, ambassadors failed to clinch a deal, though there was optimism that a compromise can be found by the weekend... Meanwhile France is reluctant to make any show of international support for George Bush's Iraq policy before the Republican Party's pre-election convention at the end of August.)

4//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy--NO OFFERS OF TROOPS TO PROTECT U.N. STAFF IN IRAQ (The dramatic increase in kidnappings of foreign nationals in Iraq is threatening to undermine the creation of a new multinational security force aimed at protecting U.N. employees and humanitarian workers who are planning to return to the violence-ridden country. ''We have had no concrete offers of troops from any country,'' a U.N. spokesman told IPS. The United States has so far lobbied several Muslim countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen and Jordan, seeking troops for the proposed new protection force. But it has apparently hit a brick wall...Several Middle East experts are sceptical the United Nations will be welcomed by Iraqis. ''Under the present circumstances, any participation of the United Nations in the 'transition' in Iraq constitutes aiding and abetting the occupation, which continues under a new guise,'' says Rahul Mahajan, author of 'Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond.')

5//Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK--MERCHANT OF DOOM (In a farm overlooking the Euphrates River in the town of Hit, some 200 kilometres west of Baghdad, Fahd (not his real name) sits in his small hut surrounded by bags of TNT...Formerly, this 48-year-old amateur demolitions expert made his living selling bombs to fishermen to use for catching fish. But he told an IWPR reporter that his best customers now are guerrillas from neighbouring communities... Local Iraqi police told IWPR they know about the explosives traders, but they claim the bombs are only used for fishing. "Many Hit residents manufacture bombs, but only for fishing purposes," said Captain Majed Suheil. "It was forbidden under Saddam, but now is permitted until the issuance of new instructions.")

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1//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong July 30, 2004
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FG30Aa02.html

HOW KERRY IS DIFFERENT - AND HOW HE ISN'T
By Ehsan Ahrari
Ehsan Ahrari, PhD, is an Alexandria, Virginia-based independent strategic analyst.

Now that US Senator John Kerry has formally accept the nomination of the Democratic Party's presidential candidacy, a close look at his national-security policies is warranted. Former Vermont governor John Dean, the onetime front-runner in the race for the Democratic candidacy, used to call Kerry "Bush Lite", largely on Kerry's support for the US invasion of Iraq. Dean was in essence right in his assessment of Kerry, at least on Iraq. However, when Kerry voted against the bill calling for US$87 billion in aid to Iraq, President George W Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney started accusing him of flip-flopping on the issue.

Kerry's problem may be that he is too prudent, and doesn't yearn to deviate too much from a position slightly left to the center on major foreign-policy issues. In addition, he also has an established voting record that is characterized by a frequent change of position. Those specific features of his candidacy could haunt him now that he is the chief challenger to the sitting president. His prudence and changes of mind may be reasons he has not yet impressed the voters that his approach to US national-security policies would be notably different than that of Bush, even when the US presence in Iraq is becoming increasingly unpopular among voters.

Kerry's general approach
In general, John Kerry promotes himself as a multilateralist, a believer in coalition-building, and a man who would consult with the United Nations as well as major allies on issues of global significance. In this sense, if elected, he would re-enter the Kyoto anti-global-warming treaty, revisit the proposition of joining the International Criminal Court, restart endeavors to persuade the US Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, stop the US production of bunker-buster bombs, earnestly initiate another round of nuclear-arms reduction with Russia, and jump-start the moribund Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations. But that is where the differences between the national-security policies of Kerry and Bush pretty much end. What about other major issues?

(SNIP)

Iraq
On this particular issue there are not likely to be substantial differences between Kerry and Bush, only stylistic ones. Both emphasize staying put in terms of keeping America's military presence in Iraq. Any US withdrawal from there is bound to make it even more of a fertile place for transnational terrorists than it is now. Besides, any serious consideration of withdrawal of US troops necessitates the availability of a feasible alternative, which is sorely non-existent right now. Both Kerry and Bush emphasize dealing harshly with Iraqi insurgency. Kerry is not likely to be any less harsh in his dealings with anti-American Iraqi leaders, such as Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, than Bush. Both of them are equally chary about allowing Islamists much room to maneuver in Iraq.

What Kerry would do differently is rely more on multilateralism and the UN. But that is not really different from what Bush is now doing - arguably more because of necessity than out of a real change of heart about his original unilateralist penchant. Kerry, on the other hand, would be genuine about his multilateral approach to the Iraq conflict. It should also be noted that Kerry's advantage is that he has the benefit of watching Bush fail by being adamantly unilateralist in his decision to invade Iraq, and adopted multilateralism willy-nilly.

(SNIP)

The US presidential election is notable in the sense that national-security concerns continue to be on top of voters' worry-list. Kerry will have to convince that his overall approach to national security, even if it is not that much different, will indeed result in the US getting more respect worldwide under his watch than under Bush's. Considering the recurring evidence of rising spirals of anti-Americanism not just in the Middle East, but also in Europe, that particular aspect of the Kerry difference would mean his election as America's next president.

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, July 30, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=6771

IRAQ STUMBLES IN TAKING 1ST STEP TOWARD DEMOCRACY
National conference postponed again

By Annia Ciezadlo
Special to The Daily Star

BAGHDAD: It was intended as a baby step into participatory democracy, the country's first foray into nation-building. But Iraq's national conference is turning into a world-class embarrassment. Thursday, the conference was postponed for the second time, amid allegations of mismanagement and too little outreach.

"No one knows what the national conference is," said Sheikh Fatih Kashif al-Ghitta, an independent Shiite political leader. "I am in Baghdad and my neighbors are university professors and they didn't hear about it. So what about the people in the provinces?"

After relentless pressure from Iraqi leaders and the UN, Fuad Masoum, the official in charge of arranging the conference, announced it would be delayed for two weeks. The three-day conference, required to take place in July under Iraq's transitional law, is scheduled to start in Baghdad on Aug. 15.

Its main purpose is to choose a 100-member council that will serve as the country's de facto parliament until January elections. Modeled after Afghanistan's Loya Jirga, the conference was meant to draw in indigenous Iraqi leaders not represented in Iraq's new government.

Instead, the gathering became an exercise in partisan politics. It has deepened already bitter divisions between ethnic and sectarian groups, and especially between exiles and homegrown leaders. Many Iraqis claimed that six influential political parties, most of them made up of returned exiles, dominated the process and alienated exactly the kind of popular leaders that the conference was supposed to attract.

(MORE)

3//The Independent, UK 29 July 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=545744

NATO SCHEME TO TRAIN IRAQI SECURITY FORCES IS BLOCKED
By Stephen Castle in Brussels

France led a clutch of nations yesterday blocking Nato plans to train Iraqi security forces. The 26 Nato allies agreed last month in Istanbul to go ahead with a training programme, but the US and the French remain at odds over the interpretation of the accord. At issue is the extent of any Nato deployment inside Iraq.

Despite three meetings yesterday, ambassadors failed to clinch a deal, though there was optimism that a compromise can be found by the weekend.

At the Istanbul summit the French President, Jacques Chirac, said the alliance could offer support to individual nations which want to train Iraqi troops but that "a Nato presence in Iraq" was out of the question.

Germany and Belgium are also unenthusiastic about an alliance mission inside the country although they will not stand in the way of the majority.

The US has raised the temperature by pushing hard for an early decision and an ambitious programme of Nato involvement. "It is not just the French that have concerns," said one Nato official, "The US is taking a fairly hardline position."

Nato has already sent a fact-finding mission to Iraq, and the US wants a second one, due to leave shortly, to be allowed to begin some form of training. That is being resisted by Paris and Berlin, which argue that the mission should assess safety and decide on where and how the training should take place.

France is also opposed to putting a Nato mission under the operational command of the US-led multinational force. "The French fear that the Americans will be able to transfer responsibilities to Nato because of this unique chain of command," said one Nato diplomat.

Meanwhile France is reluctant to make any show of international support for George Bush's Iraq policy before the Republican Party's pre-election convention at the end of August.

(MORE)

4//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy July 27, 2004
http://www.ips.org/index.htm

NO OFFERS OF TROOPS TO PROTECT U.N. STAFF IN IRAQ
Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 27 (IPS) - The dramatic increase in kidnappings of foreign nationals in Iraq is threatening to undermine the creation of a new multinational security force aimed at protecting U.N. employees and humanitarian workers who are planning to return to the violence-ridden country.

''We have had no concrete offers of troops from any country,'' a U.N. spokesman told IPS.

The United States has so far lobbied several Muslim countries, including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Yemen and Jordan, seeking troops for the proposed new protection force. But it has apparently hit a brick wall.

When U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan last week announced the appointment of Pakistani Ambassador to the United States Ashraf Qazi as the new U.N. Special Representative for Iraq, there was speculation the government in Islamabad would reciprocate the gesture by providing troops to protect U.N. workers.

Asked if this was true, Annan told reporters last week a request did go out to ''quite a few countries to offer troops.'' Pakistan was one of them, he admitted. ''But there was no quid pro quo or any expectation that, because I have appointed a Pakistani, they would give me troops,'' he said.

(SNIP)

Annan said his new special representative will leave for Baghdad, with ''a small staff'', sometime in August. ''But adequate security arrangements will be made for them,'' he added.

Currently, most U.N. employees are operating out of Jordan and Cyprus. The world body decided to pull its staff from Iraq after the bombing of the U.N. compound last August, which claimed the lives of over 20 staffers, including U.N. Special Representative for Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Several Middle East experts are sceptical the United Nations will be welcomed by Iraqis.

''Under the present circumstances, any participation of the United Nations in the 'transition' in Iraq constitutes aiding and abetting the occupation, which continues under a new guise,'' says Rahul Mahajan, author of 'Full Spectrum Dominance: U.S. Power in Iraq and Beyond.'

Although meaningful concessions were wrought for the passage of the recent Security Council resolution endorsing Iraq's interim government, they were far too minor, he argued.

The minimal requirements the United Nations should have for further legitimating the political process in Iraq should include: elections as quickly as possible, with full sovereignty -- including the right to change all relevant laws -- handed over to the elected government immediately; the withdrawal of U.S. and U.K. forces before those elections; and the release of control over the 18.4 billion dollars the U.S. Congress has allocated for reconstruction to the elected Iraqi government, and cancellation of unimplemented contracts, according to Mahajan who has made several trips to Iraq in recent months.

''If these conditions are met very clearly, then it should not be difficult to find Iraqi forces that would provide adequate security to U.N. personnel smoothing a genuine transition process'', he added.

(MORE)

5//Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK (ICR No. 76, 28-Jul-04)
http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/irq/irq_76_4_eng.txt

MERCHANT OF DOOM
By Aqil Jabbar in Hit

In a farm overlooking the Euphrates River in the town of Hit, some 200 kilometres west of Baghdad, Fahd (not his real name) sits in his small hut surrounded by bags of TNT.

On the shelves around him are detonator devices, cords, and hand grenades, while the ground is covered with rows of shells for artillery and tanks.

Formerly, this 48-year-old amateur demolitions expert made his living selling bombs to fishermen to use for catching fish.

But he told an IWPR reporter that his best customers now are guerrillas from neighbouring communities.

"The Fallujah resistance [fighters] are my most common customers, and after that mujahideen of Diala [north of Baghdad] who distinguish themselves by planting bombs professionally," said Fahd.

So far, he has not had any buyers from the radical Shiite Mahdi Army, which also has been at war with the Coalition forces.

Fahd has worked in explosives for 12 years, both before the fall of Saddam and after. At first, his bombs were used to catch fish - but today he has other customers.

"I sell the bombs to the mujahideen, after assembling them and mixing them with even more dangerous materials," Fahd said.

(SNIP)

The bombs can then be hidden by the roadside, and detonated from up to 100 metres away as a US patrol passes by.

(SNIP)

Local Iraqi police told IWPR they know about the explosives traders, but they claim the bombs are only used for fishing.

"Many Hit residents manufacture bombs, but only for fishing purposes," said Captain Majed Suheil. "It was forbidden under Saddam, but now is permitted until the issuance of new instructions."