October 8, 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 OCTOBER 8, 2004

1//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--NOW FOR THE REAL BATTLE OF SAMARRAH (Toby Dodge monitors developments in Iraq at Queen Mary College at the University of London. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC), he said establishing effective civilian control of such Iraqi trouble spots will be the government's most challenging task. He said the US military may be able to occupy towns and cities, but that there needs to be civilian institutions in place to run them. Dodge said Samarrah will likely be the least difficult of the Sunni cities north of Baghdad to get back under government control because it has a history of opposition to Saddam Hussein. Dodge said Samarrah could be called "an easy first stage" in the whole operation.)

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon--IRAQ IN NEED OF FUNDING FOR SEWAGE, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE (Iraq only has 10 percent of the money needed over the next six years to fix its sewerage and drinking water systems, a dilemma worsened by a US proposal to shift two billion dollars earmarked for the sector to security, the public works minister said on Thursday...The US government promised to pump 18.4 billion dollars (15 billion euros) into reconstruction projects in Iraq after last year's invasion. But a month ago it revealed a plan to shift some of this cash into beefing up the country's security forces in response to a violent insurgency there. Barwari said this move would affect her ministry of municipalities and public works the most, with two billion dollars of four billion initially promised set to be siphoned off.)

3//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--MAJORITY OF NEWSPAPERS BACK COALITION'S RETURN (Australia's major newspapers have overwhelmingly endorsed Prime Minister John Howard's re-election...The Sydney Morning Herald made a historic move to end its tradition of endorsing a party to win government. "There comes a time when a newspaper, having expressed its voting preference for more than 170 years, must renew and reassess its claim on independence so that its pursuit of truth is not only free of partisanship and without fear or favour but is seen to be so," it said. "From today, the Herald will no longer endorse a political party.")

4//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--ABOLISH CONGRESS FOR 3 YEARS, SAVE P67B-ARROYO LAWYER (Yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's election lawyer proposed that the country go "Congress-less" for three years -- from 2007 to 2010 -- to save at least P67.7 billion that could help the country squeeze itself out of financial difficulties. In a statement sent to the Inquirer, lawyer Romulo Macalintal noted that there hasn't been a shortage of suggested solutions, "but nothing seems to attract attention and implementation." Macalintal proposed the "radical" step of amending the Constitution so that the election of new members of Congress and 12 senators in 2007 would not be held as scheduled.)

5//The Daily Times, Pakistan--RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PLANS TO VISIT IRAN (Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Iran where Russia will continue to assist in development of a civilian nuclear programme, a senior Russian official said here Thursday. "We do not have a concrete date for a visit by the president to Iran, but there is a firm agreement with the Iranian side that this visit will take place in the foreseeable future," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alekseyev said.)

* * *

1//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong October 7, 2004
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FJ07Ak02.html

NOW FOR THE REAL BATTLE OF SAMARRAH
By Valentinas Mite

US and Iraqi forces say they have succeeded in their drive to re-establish government control over the Sunni Triangle city of Samarrah. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, speaking to a New York-based think-tank on Tuesday, said other such military offensives are likely to follow in an effort to wrest control of key cities away from militants.

But analysts warn that any such victories may only be temporary and that military means alone cannot crush the Iraqi resistance. Yahia Said is a researcher specializing in Iraq and other transition nations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that the US and the Iraqi interim government must seek the cooperation of local residents to ensure any military victories are irreversible: "In the long term, you need a certain level of consensus from the population - cooperation by the population - to control the city, and this is not happening."

Though the city may have been retaken, residents and hospital officials in Samarrah say many civilians, including women and children, were killed or injured in the fighting. Said noted that relying solely on military operations may only serve to antagonize the population before elections.

He said the Iraqi government also needs to find ways to win the hearts and minds of the population: "I think a big part of [the problem] is a feeling among many people - especially in certain areas - that they have been disfranchised, that they have been shut out of the political process, that the people in the government in Baghdad are mostly exiles and do not represent them."

Toby Dodge monitors developments in Iraq at Queen Mary College at the University of London. In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC), he said establishing effective civilian control of such Iraqi trouble spots will be the government's most challenging task. He said the US military may be able to occupy towns and cities, but that there needs to be civilian institutions in place to run them.

Dodge said Samarrah will likely be the least difficult of the Sunni cities north of Baghdad to get back under government control because it has a history of opposition to Saddam Hussein. Dodge said Samarrah could be called "an easy first stage" in the whole operation.

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, October 08, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=9081

IRAQ IN NEED OF FUNDING FOR SEWAGE, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
By Agence France Presse (AFP)

BAGHDAD: (AFP) - Iraq only has 10 percent of the money needed over the next six years to fix its sewerage and drinking water systems, a dilemma worsened by a US proposal to shift two billion dollars earmarked for the sector to security, the public works minister said on Thursday.

Nasreen Barwari was speaking as Iraqi government officials prepared to fly cap-in-hand to Tokyo next week for an international donors' conference.

"It is very critical that grants get expanded for the sector," the young female minister told a news conference in Baghdad.

The US government promised to pump 18.4 billion dollars (15 billion euros) into reconstruction projects in Iraq after last year's invasion.

But a month ago it revealed a plan to shift some of this cash into beefing up the country's security forces in response to a violent insurgency there.

Barwari said this move would affect her ministry of municipalities and public works the most, with two billion dollars of four billion initially promised set to be siphoned off.

As a result, Iraq's government would present an updated list of priority areas for funding at the two-day donor gathering in Japan from October 13, placing "water, sanitation and electricity at the top," the minister said.

Donor countries, aid agencies and World Bank officials are due to meet in the Japanese capital to discuss Iraqi reconstruction, which has floundered amid the deteriorating security situation and left many Iraqis still without basic services such as water and electricity.

The interim government was unhappy that pledges made last year at a similar gathering in Madrid have largely failed to materialize. More than 90 percent of the country's cities have no decent sewerage system, while only two thirds of Iraqis have access to safe drinking water, Barwari told reporters.

(MORE)

3//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia October 8, 2004 - 10:25 AM
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/08/1097089533031.html

MAJORITY OF NEWSPAPERS BACK COALITION'S RETURN

Australia's major newspapers have overwhelmingly endorsed Prime Minister John Howard's re-election.

But The Sydney Morning Herald broke with a 170 year tradition and took a neutral stance, while The Canberra Times said Labor leader Mark Latham deserved to win.

The Australian said there was a case for change, but the Labor Party's reform program was inadequate.

"There is a case for change alright, but it would need to be based on a reform program that extends, rather than unwinds, the gains of the past two decades," The Australian said. "Labor has not made such a case, and so The Australian believes the Howard government deserves to be returned tomorrow."

The Australian Financial Review said there had been too much pork-barrelling, but Mr Howard deserved a fourth win.

"When the pork and regrets are stripped away, the coalition would do more to reward effort and enterprise and promote growth than Labor's resort to the retro-fashions of redistribution and ever-larger public services," the AFR said.

"That, and Labor's cynical obstruction of reform in opposition, should be enough to give John Howard his coveted fourth election win."

The Sydney Morning Herald made a historic move to end its tradition of endorsing a party to win government.

"There comes a time when a newspaper, having expressed its voting preference for more than 170 years, must renew and reassess its claim on independence so that its pursuit of truth is not only free of partisanship and without fear or favour but is seen to be so," it said.

"From today, the Herald will no longer endorse a political party."

The Canberra Times also stood out from its counterparts, backing Mr Latham's fresh approach.

(MORE)

4//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines Updated 00:59am (Mla time) Oct 08, 2004
http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=14206

ABOLISH CONGRESS FOR 3 YEARS, SAVE P67B-ARROYO LAWYER
By Juliet Labog-Javellana, Inquirer News Service

How about abolishing Congress?

This had been suggested before, of course, but not in such great detail.

Yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's election lawyer proposed that the country go "Congress-less" for three years -- from 2007 to 2010 -- to save at least P67.7 billion that could help the country squeeze itself out of financial difficulties.

In a statement sent to the Inquirer, lawyer Romulo Macalintal noted that there hasn't been a shortage of suggested solutions, "but nothing seems to attract attention and implementation."

Macalintal proposed the "radical" step of amending the Constitution so that the election of new members of Congress and 12 senators in 2007 would not be held as scheduled.

Savings from this, as well as from the P22.5 billion yearly that it takes to operate both chambers, would benefit "the entire Filipino people," the lawyer said.

Off hand, he pointed out two positive results: The food coupons program meant to address the problem of hunger need not be considered anymore; and "we will have a moratorium for three years on highly partisan and politically motivated debates in Congress which are not helping the country at all."

Transition period

Macalintal clarified that he was proposing the scrapping of elections in 2007 that would replace the 250 representatives and 12 senators whose terms would expire that year, although an election would still be held for governors, vice governors, board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.

"In other words," the lawyer said, "during the transition period from 2007 to 2010 ... we will practically have a Congress-less government."

(MORE)

5//The Daily Times, Pakistan Friday, October 8, 2004
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_8-10-2004_pg4_17

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PLANS TO VISIT IRAN

MOSCOW (AFP): Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Iran where Russia will continue to assist in development of a civilian nuclear programme, a senior Russian official said here Thursday. "We do not have a concrete date for a visit by the president to Iran, but there is a firm agreement with the Iranian side that this visit will take place in the foreseeable future," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alekseyev said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Tehran for two days starting Sunday for talks with Iranian official that could finalize details for a trip there by Putin, Alekseyev told reporters at a briefing. End