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 SEPTEMBER 24, 2004

1//The Jordan Times, Jordan--US TROOPS FACE HELLISH FIGHT IN SADR CITY CONCRETE JUNGLE (Most likely, the First Cavalry Division will seize back the remaining Mehdi Army territory in Sadr City sometime between mid-October and early November, Curtis said. The planned offensive would bring an end to a half-year of intense street fighting that has made the First Cavalry Division's 2 - 5 battalion all too accustomed to bloodshed in Sadr City's 48 square-kilometre concrete jungle. The failure not to win back the sprawling slum risks shutting off the community's 2.5 million people - almost half of Baghdad's population - from voting in January's national elections. Success for the US army ultimately hinges on whether the population will break with Sadr, whose father was revered as a defender of the persecuted Shiites under President Saddam Hussein.)

2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--IRAN ASKS THE WORLD TO A NUCLEAR PARTY (As it becomes increasingly cornered over its nuclear program, Iran has come out fighting, issuing an open invitation to countries to participate in the construction of its nuclear-powered plants. "Not only do we invite you, we also welcome whole-heartedly countries to invest in our nuclear program for civilian purposes," Mohammad Hossein Mousavian, the secretary of the political department of Iran's Supreme Council on National Security (SCNS), told Asia Times Online... Iran's call for countries to invest in huge, multibillion-dollar nuclear projects goes first to France and Germany because these two nations are already familiar with Iran's nuclear market, as Germany was almost finished building Iran's first nuclear-powered plant and France had started building two others in the oil-rich province of Khouzistan when the Islamic Revolution of 1979 halted them.)

3//The Moscow Times, Russia--FIVE MINISTRIES ASKED TO SIGN OFF ON KYOTO (The government has asked five ministries to approve ratification of the controversial Kyoto Protocol, officials said Thursday...The Natural Resources Ministry has already put its stamp of approval on the ratification documents, Rinat Gizatulin, head of the ministry's press service, said Thursday... "I'm very glad Putin has assessed it as positive for his economy and for the people. He's shown he's not thinking just about cold figures but the lives of his people," Alexei Kokorin, head of the WWF's Climate Program in Russia, said Thursday. He added, however, that the process of preparing accompanying documentation for submission to the Duma could be "dragged out" due to the staunch opposition of Putin's top economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov.)

4//The Daily Star, Lebanon--SCHEME TO EXPAND KUWAIT'S OIL PRODUCTION LIKELY TO CAUSE STIR (One of the most heated debates is likely to be on the fate of a scheme proposed by the government to expand production from oilfields in the far north of the country, close to the Iraqi border. On the face of it, this does not seem to be high on the list of controversial subjects that have tend to raise the blood pressure of certain Kuwaiti MPs (like demands that women should be given the vote, for example). But when one points out that the scheme has been on the drawing board since 1998, it becomes clear right away that the proposals are far from straightforward... A more common objection to Project Kuwait relates to the involvement of international oil companies...Also in contention is what a number of MPs say is a lack of transparency about the nature of the discussions that have been held with the foreign firms - and about the role of Kuwaiti agents and in the formation of the consortia that hope to bid for the project, and the commission paid to them...In the meantime, the three consortia chasing the elusive Project Kuwait prize (led by BP, ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil) have no choice but to sit tight and await developments.)

5//The Independent, UK--KERRY AND BUSH SEND THEIR RELATIVES ABROAD TO COURT EXPATRIATE VOTERS (While there are no official records of who these expatriate voters support, it has always been assumed that absentee ballots from overseas were predominantly in support of Republicans, given the high number of military personnel and retirees. But Democrats believe that this time around the Republicans may not hold the advantage. They argue that because of the international opposition to the war in Iraq it will be easier to attract votes in support of Senator Kerry.)

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1//The Jordan Times, Jordan Friday-Saturday, September 24 -25,2004
http://www.jordantimes.com/fri/news/news10.htm

US TROOPS FACE HELLISH FIGHT IN SADR CITY CONCRETE JUNGLE

BAGHDAD (AFP) - US army Specialist Drew Lamkin sprawls out in an abandoned government building in the Shiite slum of Sadr City here Thursday where his battalion aims to end a six-month urban war that has claimed the lives of hundreds of Iraqis and a dozen soldiers.

It's the tail end of more than 24 hours awake, face greased, sitting waiting to patrol the street in his Bradley tank and blow up the bombs planted there by fundamentalist cleric Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army.

The goal is to control the first square kilometre of Sadr City's winding alleyways and labyrinth of minarets and grey cinderblock tenements and make it a model of law and order. The battalion raided the Sadr enclave Tuesday night and were greeted by a hail of mortar and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire. Still, they managed to seize back a thin sector of the shantytown as a first step to breaking the will of the Mehdi Army.

On its newly-won turf, the military hopes to spend millions of dollars on sewage, water and electricity and weaken the support for Sadr's fighters in the district's tough northern sector, dense with snipers and young men ready to die in the name of Islam.

"We will operate in the south. Eventually we'll push north. The question is how the south responds and how the Mehdi Army reacts to the south getting services," Lieutenant Steve Curtis told AFP.

Most likely, the First Cavalry Division will seize back the remaining Mehdi Army territory in Sadr City sometime between mid-October and early November, Curtis said. The planned offensive would bring an end to a half-year of intense street fighting that has made the First Cavalry Division's 2 - 5 battalion all too accustomed to bloodshed in Sadr City's 48 square-kilometre concrete jungle.

The failure not to win back the sprawling slum risks shutting off the community's 2.5 million people - almost half of Baghdad's population - from voting in January's national elections.

Success for the US army ultimately hinges on whether the population will break with Sadr, whose father was revered as a defender of the persecuted Shiites under President Saddam Hussein.

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2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong September 24, 2004
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FI24Ak02.html

IRAN ASKS THE WORLD TO A NUCLEAR PARTY
By Safa Haeri

VIENNA - As it becomes increasingly cornered over its nuclear program, Iran has come out fighting, issuing an open invitation to countries to participate in the construction of its nuclear-powered plants.

"Not only do we invite you, we also welcome whole-heartedly countries to invest in our nuclear program for civilian purposes," Mohammad Hossein Mousavian, the secretary of the political department of Iran's Supreme Council on National Security (SCNS), told Asia Times Online.

Mousavian, the right-hand man of Hasan Rohani, the powerful secretary of the SCNS and Iran's top nuclear negotiator with both the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European Union's so-called Big 3 (Germany, France and the United Kingdom), described the offer as "an exceptional and historical occasion" that is open to France and Germany in particular, as well as Britain and the United States if they wish to invest in Iran.

Iran has a stated aim of having 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power online by 2020, accounting for 10% of the country's power-generation capacity at that point. To achieve this, it plans to build at least six more plants besides the one under construction in the port of Bushehr, on the Persian Gulf, with assistance from Russia. This plant will consist of a 1,000MW pressurized-light-water reactor and is scheduled to go online in 2005.

However, Iran's determination to act on what it calls its "legal right" to produce fissile uranium for nuclear energy has put it at odds with much of the world community, especially the US, which suspects that the country is determined to develop a nuclear bomb.

Iran's call for countries to invest in huge, multibillion-dollar nuclear projects goes first to France and Germany because these two nations are already familiar with Iran's nuclear market, as Germany was almost finished building Iran's first nuclear-powered plant and France had started building two others in the oil-rich province of Khouzistan when the Islamic Revolution of 1979 halted them.

(SNIP)

Analysts say that should the West, mostly Europe, not respond to Iran's offer, the likelihood is that Russia will consolidate its position in the country, adding to the $1 billion deal it already has at the Bushehr plant.

"Obviously, the Iranians are not very happy with Russian nuclear technology, which they consider aging and dangerous. At the same time, they are determined to go ahead with the project - they are looking to diversify their sources of energy through nuclear plants for electricity. Hence their call to France and Germany to take the opportunity," an Iranian analyst explained to Asia Times Online on condition of not being named.

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3//The Moscow Times, Russia Friday, September 24, 2004. Page 5.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/09/24/043.html

FIVE MINISTRIES ASKED TO SIGN OFF ON KYOTO
Combined Reports

The government has asked five ministries to approve ratification of the controversial Kyoto Protocol, officials said Thursday.

The European Union has long urged Russia to ratify the 1997 protocol aimed at reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are widely seen as a key contributor to global warming.

But Kyoto foes in Russia have argued that the pact will stifle the nation's economic growth, derailing President Vladimir Putin's plan of doubling GDP in 10 years.

The Natural Resources Ministry has already put its stamp of approval on the ratification documents, Rinat Gizatulin, head of the ministry's press service, said Thursday.

In the ministry's opinion, "ratification of the treaty will not harm Russia," Gizatulin said. The World Wildlife Fund said that Putin had instructed key ministers to sign off on the documents last week. The documents could be ratified by the State Duma within the "next few weeks," the WWF said in a statement.

"I'm very glad Putin has assessed it as positive for his economy and for the people. He's shown he's not thinking just about cold figures but the lives of his people," Alexei Kokorin, head of the WWF's Climate Program in Russia, said Thursday.

He added, however, that the process of preparing accompanying documentation for submission to the Duma could be "dragged out" due to the staunch opposition of Putin's top economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov.

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4//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, September 24, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=8663

SCHEME TO EXPAND KUWAIT'S OIL PRODUCTION LIKELY TO CAUSE STIR
By Gerald Butt
Gerald Butt is Gulf editor of the Cyprus-based Middle East Economic Survey MEES

One of the most heated debates is likely to be on the fate of a scheme proposed by the government to expand production from oilfields in the far north of the country, close to the Iraqi border. On the face of it, this does not seem to be high on the list of controversial subjects that have tend to raise the blood pressure of certain Kuwaiti MPs (like demands that women should be given the vote, for example). But when one points out that the scheme has been on the drawing board since 1998, it becomes clear right away that the proposals are far from straightforward.

The question now is whether the government will succeed this time, having failed thus far in separating the project - known as Project Kuwait - from the complex web of the nation's internal politics. In other words, will it be able to win the National Assembly's support for a venture which it insists is essential for the country's future and which most MPs say is either unnecessary or politically unacceptable.

(SNIP)

A more common objection to Project Kuwait relates to the involvement of international oil companies. The government envisages the winning consortium raising production from the northern fields to the target level and then sustaining it for 20 to 30 years. Many deputies say that the presence of foreign firms in Kuwaiti oilfields for such a long period breaches the country's Constitution. KPC has answered this criticism by saying that the international companies will be operating merely as long-term contractors and will not own any of the oil produced.

Also in contention is what a number of MPs say is a lack of transparency about the nature of the discussions that have been held with the foreign firms - and about the role of Kuwaiti agents and in the formation of the consortia that hope to bid for the project, and the commission paid to them.

(SNIP)

The prevailing view among Kuwaiti oil professionals is that a service contract, of the kind envisaged for Project Kuwait, does not breach the constitution and therefore does not need a new law. But such has been the furor over the subject that the authorities might decide to seek National Assembly approval. After all, this is not the first time that the matter has been put before MPs. In April 2000, the government presented a draft Project Kuwait law to Parliament on a fast-track basis. After a year of tempestuous debate, deputies effectively threw it out.

So the fate of Project Kuwait lies in the balance. The scheme has become a victim of the malaise in Kuwaiti political life, reflected in an antagonistic relationship between the National Assembly and the government that has all but paralyzed the decision-making process. MPs suspect the government of underhanded dealings in such matters as Project Kuwait, while ministers accuse the National Assembly of deliberately blocking progress on major economic development schemes. At the same time, professionals in the oil sector complain of constant political interference in the appointment of senior officials which is hampering the operations of the energy sector.

In the meantime, the three consortia chasing the elusive Project Kuwait prize (led by BP, ChevronTexaco and ExxonMobil) have no choice but to sit tight and await developments. But the chances of Project Kuwait being extricated from the sticky mire of the country's internal political scene in the upcoming session of Parliament must be open to considerable doubt.

5//The Independent, UK 24 September 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=565106

KERRY AND BUSH SEND THEIR RELATIVES ABROAD TO COURT EXPATRIATE VOTERS
By Andrew Buncombe in Washington

Democrats and Republicans are making an unprecedented effort to register and court United States voters living overseas in the belief they could provide the crucial boost to secure the upcoming election.

With polls showing the two candidates neck and neck and with less than six weeks before polling day, the parties are stepping up efforts to gain the support of an estimated three million eligible Americans voters living outside of the US.

More than half a million of them live in Mexico and in the town of San Miguel de Allende, consular officials have twice had to order more application forms to meet the demand.

As a sign of the importance the parties attach to this expatriate vote, President George Bush's nephew, George Prescott Bush, spent four days in Mexico last month campaigning for his uncle.

At the same time, Democrats living in Mexico received a rallying visit from John Kerry's sister, Diana. Both parties have established well-organised groups to co-ordinate voters, not just in Mexico but in scores of countries.

"I do think there is an unprecedented effort being made by the parties," said Curtis Gans, the director of the Washington-based Committee for the Study of the American Electorate. "Whether it is because of the closeness of the race, I am not sure. People want to get out the vote but I also think it is because of the lightning rod that the Bush presidency represents. People feel so strongly that they want to leave no stone unturned. This is probably the most emotional election in my lifetime and I'm 67." While there are no official records of who these expatriate voters support, it has always been assumed that absentee ballots from overseas were predominantly in support of Republicans, given the high number of military personnel and retirees.

But Democrats believe that this time around the Republicans may not hold the advantage. They argue that because of the international opposition to the war in Iraq it will be easier to attract votes in support of Senator Kerry.

Ana Maria Salazar, a dual US-Mexican citizen and former White House official who served under President Bill Clinton, is the Kerry campaign's co-ordinator in Mexico. She told The Chicago Tribune: "We're so convinced that these people are going to vote for Kerry. These are probably the people who most feel the impact of President Bush's foreign policy mistakes."

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