August 20, 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 AUGUST 20, 2004

1//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--EL SALVADOR SENDS TROOPS TO IRAQ DESPITE THREATS (El Salvador sent a new contingent of troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq despite repeated threats from Islamic militants that they would strike against the country in retaliation. General Carlos Soto said 150 soldiers flew from a military airbase south of the capital San Salvador early in the morning for a six month stint in Iraq, and another 230 would be deployed between by Sunday...El Salvador's soldiers have been posted in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, a scene of fierce fighting in recent days. Although they do not have a front-line role, they have come under repeated attack. One soldier was killed and 12 were wounded in April.)

2//The Independent, UK--US UNLEASHES NEW ANTI-TALIBAN WEAPON: CHARM (The days of "smoke 'em out" must seem like long ago for the 17,000 US combat troops still scouring Afghanistan for Al-Queda and the Taliban, whose insurgency refuses to die and is probably growing. The military, overstretched in southern Afghanistan's endless barren mountain ranges and facing often hostile populations, accepts that it will never by itself beat the Taliban, a stubborn if disorganised enemy...The hope is that development projects funded by the US government - the Vietnam-era phrase Hearts and Minds is meticulously avoided - will win friends while security sweeps force the Taliban into the high mountains.)

3//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy--EGYPT: IRON FIST BEATS TERRORISM, OR DOES IT? (Egypt's last terrorist attack in 1997, when militants massacred 58 tourists, was a turning point; it seems that the most populous Arab country has won the battle against terrorism. Is Egypt a good example? Some say that the Mubarak regime has used the "threat of terror" to crush both terrorists and political enemies...Dr. Denis Sullivan, director of the international studies department at Bentley College in Cairo questions whether Mubarak's brute tactics ever really worked at all. "If people buy the argument that (Mubarak's) tactics 'won', then it gives more cover to anyone, including the U.S., who will say the only way to win is through a massive crackdown on human rights, massive force against militants, and if civil liberties and the rule of law get trampled, it's the price that must be paid." Sullivan accused the Mubarak regime of using the "threat of terror" to crush both terrorists and political enemies. He said Egypt's anti-terrorism campaign thinly veiled an attempt to silence opposition groups.)

4//The Daily Star, Lebanon--NEW PARTY HOPES TO BE LIBERAL VOICE OF EGYPT (Mona Makram-Ebeid is following a legacy. A professor of political science at the American University of Cairo and a veteran political activist, Makram-Ebeid is expected to be the first woman to serve as secretary general of a new political party in Egypt - Hizb al-Ghad, The Party of Tomorrow. Started a few months ago by parliamentarians Ayman Nour and Farid Khamis, the party's application has twice been rejected by the Egypt's Political Parties Committee. But this new generation of liberals hope it will be able to attract disenchanted youth with a call for immediate democratic reform and an emphasis on secularism..."Moderates like those involved with Al-Ghad are in a fix with regard to the US," said Makram-Ebeid. "They cannot defend the present US administration's heavy handed policies and at the same time they do not want to cut themselves off from all that is positive in the West, including technological advancements. Ultimately the pre-conditions for the US to recover credibility as a promoter of democracy with Egyptian public opinion has less to do with its actions regarding democracy than with its regional policies." For now, members of the new party are awaiting a Sept. 25 court decision on whether the new party will finally be accepted. This time around, Makram-Ebeid, who said she has faith in Egypt's judiciary, believes the party will be legalized.)

5//The Times of India, India--TERROR TRAFFIC MAY SOUR TALKS (The big spurt in cross-border infiltration over the last couple of months is casting a shadow on the much-awaited meeting between India and Pakistan's external affairs ministers due next month...The Army, for one, is convinced Pakistan is back to its "old tactic" of "actively supporting" infiltration bids across the Line of Control. Army chief General N C Vij on Thursday himself said the number of recent infiltration attempts were "more than double the figures of last year"..."The infrastructure and (terrorist training) camps are also very much there," said Gen Vij, adding that Pakistan often resorted to closing down or shifting some camps for "visual deniability".)

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1//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia August 20, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/19/1092889287763.html?oneclick=true

EL SALVADOR SENDS TROOPS TO IRAQ DESPITE THREATS

(Reuters) - El Salvador sent a new contingent of troops to join the US-led coalition in Iraq despite repeated threats from Islamic militants that they would strike against the country in retaliation.

General Carlos Soto said 150 soldiers flew from a military airbase south of the capital San Salvador early in the morning for a six month stint in Iraq, and another 230 would be deployed between by Sunday.

El Salvador joined the Iraq coalition last year and this is its third contingent sent to the war. It was sent to replace 380 soldiers due to return home.

A string of threats have been posted by Islamic militants on websites warning El Salvador's conservative, pro-US government that it would pay dearly unless it withdrew its forces from Iraq for good.

Earlier this week, one group gave El Salvador 20 days to abandon the Iraq coalition or face the consequences.

(SNIP)

El Salvador's soldiers have been posted in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf, a scene of fierce fighting in recent days. Although they do not have a front-line role, they have come under repeated attack. One soldier was killed and 12 were wounded in April.

2//The Independent, UK 20 August 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=553274

US UNLEASHES NEW ANTI-TALIBAN WEAPON: CHARM
By Nick Meo in Zabul Province

(SNIP)

On the roof above were snipers in position, watching the scruffy bazaar where GIs in sunglasses tried smiling and waving at scowling tribesmen in a charm offensive. The soldiers have been warned to tone down the raids and ensure fewer doors are kicked in and suspects handcuffed. The military is here to make friends as well as hunt down enemies.

The days of "smoke 'em out" must seem like long ago for the 17,000 US combat troops still scouring Afghanistan for Al-Queda and the Taliban, whose insurgency refuses to die and is probably growing. The military, overstretched in southern Afghanistan's endless barren mountain ranges and facing often hostile populations, accepts that it will never by itself beat the Taliban, a stubborn if disorganised enemy.

They are still fighting a vicious war 235 Charlie Company has suffered 11 casualties since it arrived in April and the tactiturn FBI men who took charge of blindfolded suspects were evidence of the ongoing hunt for Al-Queda and the Taliban.

But now the emphasis is on building up Afghan security forces and winning over the conservative Pushtun tribes who have always been the Taliban's main supporters.

The hope is that development projects funded by the US government - the Vietnam-era phrase Hearts and Minds is meticulously avoided - will win friends while security sweeps force the Taliban into the high mountains.

The guerrillas' hold is based on fear, the Americans insist. Villagers sick of war and Taliban banditry are increasingly tipping them off about hideouts, ambush plans and arms caches - usually of weapons supplied to anti-Soviet guerillas by the CIA's 1980s covert operation and now turned against American boys in scrappy firefights.

In the complex world of Pushtun tribal politics, however, where hedging your bets and saying what your listener wants to hear are strategies for survival, finding the right people to make friends with does not always prove easy.

(SNIP)

Last month the American's difficulties were graphically exhibited when a police chief and district chief in the nearby Khak-e-Afghan valley were caught playing both sides of the street, lending four US-provided cars to the local Taliban to use at night.

When rumbled the administrator fled with most of the USD 100,000 cash he'd been given for building a school and paying the salaries of his men, presumably over the border to Pakistan, while the policeman is now in jail pleading that his survival required an accommodation with the enemy.

"Even these guys who aren't pro-Taliban, they are still with the Taliban because they have no choice," said Captain Mike Berdy. One of the grunts put it another way. "They smile at you in the morning, and at night they might be planting a mine in the road or firing a rocket at your ass."

3//Inter Press Service News Agency, Italy August 17, 2004
http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25103

EGYPT: IRON FIST BEATS TERRORISM, OR DOES IT?
Cam McGrath

CAIRO, Aug 17 (IPS) - Egypt's last terrorist attack in 1997, when militants massacred 58 tourists, was a turning point; it seems that the most populous Arab country has won the battle against terrorism. Is Egypt a good example? Some say that the Mubarak regime has used the "threat of terror" to crush both terrorists and political enemies.

Brute force used in Egypt to contain terrorism has come at the expense of civil liberties, rights supporters say.

"The government crushed the terrorists, but it also crushed the people," says Ahmed Osman, an Egyptian business owner. He claims he shaved his beard to avoid constant police harassment.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country (76 million), fought its own battle with Islamic militants in the 1990s. Some 1,200 people, mostly militants and policemen, were killed during a five-year campaign by armed radicals attempting to topple the government and install a purist Islamic state.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak came down on the militants with an iron fist. Security forces rounded up suspects in nationwide security sweeps. Rights groups claim over 20,000 alleged militants were detained and subjected to systematic torture, and that many were executed.

The result, boast Egyptian authorities, is not a single terrorist attack on Egyptian soil since militant leaders agreed to a unilateral ceasefire in early 1998.

Dr. Gehad Auda, author of 'Globalisation of the Radical Islam Movement' maintains that Mubarak's regime "did everything right" in fighting extremism both at home and abroad.

"Egypt was successful in managing the risk in a way that reduces the risk," he told IPS. "Yes, it was bad from a human rights perspective, but from a strategist's viewpoint it was the right thing to do."

He cautions, however, that one prescription cannot cure every ailment. "Just because it has been successful in the Egyptian case doesn't mean it will work in Saudi Arabia."

Dr. Denis Sullivan, director of the international studies department at Bentley College in Cairo questions whether Mubarak's brute tactics ever really worked at all. "If people buy the argument that (Mubarak's) tactics 'won', then it gives more cover to anyone, including the U.S., who will say the only way to win is through a massive crackdown on human rights, massive force against militants, and if civil liberties and the rule of law get trampled, it's the price that must be paid."

Sullivan accused the Mubarak regime of using the "threat of terror" to crush both terrorists and political enemies. He said Egypt's anti-terrorism campaign thinly veiled an attempt to silence opposition groups.

(SNIP)

Elhamy el-Zayat, chairman of the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers says the Egyptian public is partly responsible for driving out the violent elements. Egypt's last terrorist attack in 1997 when militants massacred 58 tourists near the southern city of Luxor was a "turning point" in the Egyptian mentality, he said.

Egypt's vital tourism industry collapsed following the attack and sent the local economy into a tailspin. While many Egyptians have fundamentalist sympathies, they are unwilling to support any action that jeopardises their country's economic mainstay.

"The people in the street got the message after the (Luxor) attack," he said. "They understood that if we don't have security, we lose our jobs and our ability to feed our families."

(SNIP)

Sullivan says the change in public attitude reduced the popularity of Islamist militants to near zero and severely compromised their ability to hide among the populace.

"In the battle for the 'hearts and minds' of everyday Egyptians, it's not that the government won, it's more that the militants lost," he said.

4//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, August 20, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=7554

NEW PARTY HOPES TO BE LIBERAL VOICE OF EGYPT
A first for country, woman is leader

By Rhonda Roumani, Daily Star staff

Beirut: Mona Makram-Ebeid is following a legacy. A professor of political science at the American University of Cairo and a veteran political activist, Makram-Ebeid is expected to be the first woman to serve as secretary general of a new political party in Egypt - Hizb al-Ghad, The Party of Tomorrow. Started a few months ago by parliamentarians Ayman Nour and Farid Khamis, the party's application has twice been rejected by the Egypt's Political Parties Committee. But this new generation of liberals hope it will be able to attract disenchanted youth with a call for immediate democratic reform and an emphasis on secularism.

"Poverty, cronyism and official corruption have heightened popular frustration," Makram-Ebeid told The Daily Star. "The prevailing feeling in the country is that change is inevitable? It is out of frustration that a powerful wave of nostalgia in Egypt has emerged for the liberal period of the country's politics (from 1920 to the 1952 revolution)."

Makram-Ebeid and many members of the new party are children of Egypt's Wafd Party, a liberal party that emerged in the 1930s and eventually led the way to Egypt's independence. Leading members during Al-Wafd's heyday included such famous nationalists as Saad Zaghloul, Lufti Sayed, Taha Hussein, Qassim Amin and Mohamad Hussein Heikal. The Wafd, credited for defining Egypt's "liberal age," was weakened by the 1952 revolution of Free Officers, which ultimately brought Gamal Abdul Nasser to power and socialism to Egypt.

(SNIP)

A former Wafd party member and parliamentarian, Makram-Ebeid never thought she would enter politics. Intrigued by academia, she studied political sociology at AUC and then went to the United States to study public administration at Harvard, graduating in 1982. A former Fulbright scholar, she is also the head of the Association for the Advancement of Education. She has consulted for the World Bank Middle East and North Africa region and founded the Arab Organization for Human Rights and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Relations.

"One of the reasons I entered politics is my belief that women must overcome cultural barriers that prevent them from participating in public life," said Makram-Ebeid.

She calls the decision of the leadership to elect her secretary-general of Al-Ghad a "decision loaded in symbolism."

(SNIP)

Makram-Ebeid insists that the new liberal agenda will appeal to the masses - what she calls the silent majority. So far, they have registered some 2,000 members; they hope to register over 1 million.

But a liberal agenda is not always easy in Egypt. Islamist groups dominate the political arena and the question remains of how Egypt and the Arab world should engage the West.

"Moderates like those involved with Al-Ghad are in a fix with regard to the US," said Makram-Ebeid. "They cannot defend the present US administration's heavy handed policies and at the same time they do not want to cut themselves off from all that is positive in the West, including technological advancements. Ultimately the pre-conditions for the US to recover credibility as a promoter of democracy with Egyptian public opinion has less to do with its actions regarding democracy than with its regional policies." For now, members of the new party are awaiting a Sept. 25 court decision on whether the new party will finally be accepted. This time around, Makram-Ebeid, who said she has faith in Egypt's judiciary, believes the party will be legalized.

(MORE)

5//The Times of India, India Thursday, August 19, 2004 09:06:26 PM
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/820929.cms

TERROR TRAFFIC MAY SOUR TALKS
Rajat Pandit, Times News Network

NEW DELHI: The big spurt in cross-border infiltration over the last couple of months is casting a shadow on the much-awaited meeting between India and Pakistan's external affairs ministers due next month.

India will strongly convey to Pakistan, during the meeting on September 5-6, that the spike in infiltration and the continuing support to jehadi outfits on its soil does not augur well for the composite dialogue process.

India is also going to reiterate that the ongoing dialogue cannot be held hostage to "artificial and unrealistic time lines" to counter General Musharraf's oft-repeated deadlines, ranging from 18 months to three years, about showing progress on Kashmir.

"Though the two ministers will review the first round of talks on the eight subjects of the composite dialogue, India will tell Pakistan that much more needs to be done to carry on a sustained and steady bilateral dialogue," said an official.

The Army, for one, is convinced Pakistan is back to its "old tactic" of "actively supporting" infiltration bids across the Line of Control. Army chief General N C Vij on Thursday himself said the number of recent infiltration attempts were "more than double the figures of last year".

"There is no let up in infiltration from the other side of the border," he said. Without the Pakistani Army's help, it would not be possible for militants carrying heavy and sophisticated weapons to sneak into India.

"The infrastructure and (terrorist training) camps are also very much there," said Gen Vij, adding that Pakistan often resorted to closing down or shifting some camps for "visual deniability".

(MORE)