November 17, 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 NOVEMBER 17, 2004


1//dw-Worlde/Deutsche-Welle, Germany--GERMANY UPBEAT, FRANCE CAUTIOUS ON RICE
(German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer Tuesday had praise for US national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, who has been nominated to be the next secretary of state. Reaction from officials in France was more cautious. A day after saying he would miss working with retiring US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Fischer was upbeat that his relationship with Powell's replacement would be equally warm and effective…France struck a wait-and-see attitude Tuesday towards the appointment of Rice, who is widely seen as a more hawkish figure than Powell. She is a fluent Russian speaker and an expert on arms control. Amid strong European opposition to the war in Iraq, Rice allegedly said that the US should forgive Russia, forget Germany and punish France.)

2//The Independent, UK--BRITONS REJECT BLAIR’S CLOSENESS TO THE US (Tony Blair's "shoulder to shoulder" support for America is rejected today by a majority of British people, who believe it is more important to have good relations with European countries. A poll by NOP for The Independent found that 64 per cent of people think that having good relations with Britain's European Union partners is more important than with the United States, while only 25 per cent believe the relationship with the US should take priority…There is better news for the Prime Minister on other fronts. According to NOP, Labour (on 39 per cent) has opened a commanding nine-point lead over the Tories (30 per cent), with the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent, enough to give Mr Blair a majority of more than 150. Labour is up three points since month's last NOP/Independent survey, the Tories down four points and the Liberal Democrats down one.)

3//The Daily Star, Lebanon--HARD-LINE IRANIAN MPs RAIL AGAINST NUCLEAR DEAL (Pragmatists in Iran's clerical regime were under pressure from hard-liners on Tuesday who lined up to condemn an agreement to suspend sensitive nuclear activities in line with international demands. At a noisy session in the hard-line-controlled Parliament, one deputy likened Iran's deal with Britain, France and Germany to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians, considered by the Islamic Republic as an act of "treason."…"This accord goes against our national interests," said Rafaat Bayat, another hard-line MP. "I say to the United States and the Europeans, and in particular France who insists a lot on the suspension of enrichment, that our parliament will not accept anything that goes against our national interests.")

4//The Toronto Star, Canada--MARTIN SET TO JOIN MIDEAST PEACE BID (Prime Minister Paul Martin is poised to get Canada more involved in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Star has learned. Martin leaves for Santiago, Chile, on Thursday, and Canadian and U.S. officials are working to organize a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) conference there. The two men could discuss details of how Canada can be most effective…Martin believes Canada can play an important role by helping the Palestinian Authority run fair elections on Jan. 9, supporting it as it develops governing and financial institutions and structures, and assist it in the creation of reliable and effective security services. It's the type of role Canada is playing in Haiti and seeking to play in other failed or failing states.)

5//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--ASIA’S TICKING NUCLEAR TIME-BOMB (Asia's relentless pursuit of nuclear energy is causing a few sleepless nights for the anti-terrorism community as the security focus shifts from rogue states with regional ambitions to the equally sinister back door of individual opportunism. A summit of 18 Asia-Pacific security ministers in Sydney late last week was told that few states had safeguards in place to prevent the illicit export of nuclear materials that could be used to make explosive devices or hold countries to ransom. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) even went so far as to label the threat posed by this trade as "a race against time," noting that there had been about 630 confirmed incidents of trafficking in nuclear or other radioactive materials since 1993.)

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1//dw-Worlde/Deutsche-Welle, Germany 16.11.2004
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1399187,00.html

GERMANY UPBEAT, FRANCE CAUTIOUS ON RICE

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer Tuesday had praise for US national security advisor Condoleezza Rice, who has been nominated to be the next secretary of state. Reaction from officials in France was more cautious.

A day after saying he would miss working with retiring US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Fischer was upbeat that his relationship with Powell's replacement would be equally warm and effective.

"The work with Condoleezza Rice in her role as national security advisor at the White House was based on trust, was close, and always excellent on a personal level," Fischer, who is on a visit to Central America, said. "I assume this will also be the case in the future."

US President George W. Bush on Tuesday nominated Rice to replace Powell. Some in Europe have privately expressed regret that Powell's departure could strengthen the role of hardliners in the Bush administration who have shown little regard for European sensibilities on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to environmental matters such as global warming.

France struck a wait-and-see attitude Tuesday towards the appointment of Rice, who is widely seen as a more hawkish figure than Powell. She is a fluent Russian speaker and an expert on arms control. Amid strong European opposition to the war in Iraq, Rice allegedly said that the US should forgive Russia, forget Germany and punish France.

France remains diplomatic

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier took a studiously diplomatic line towards the United States' future top diplomat. "France has had very proper relations with her. If she is appointed we will continue to have the same relations," Barnier told Europe 1 radio, adding that "the moment has come to rebuild, to renew, the transatlantic relation in a balanced manner."

French analysts acknowledged that her arrival at the State Department would not herald policies more palatable to Paris, but cautioned that it would be premature to write her appointment off straightaway as bad news.

According to Pascal Boniface of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations, Rice is likely to have "less personal initiative" than Powell because of her ideological closeness to President George W. Bush. "It is as if Bush was taking personal control of the State Department," he said.

Boniface said that Rice's famous threat to "punish" France for leading European opposition to Washington's war plans had come to little. "France is not isolated in its relationship with the US, and can count on Germany, Spain and Belgium," he said.

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2//The Independent, UK 17 November 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics...

BRITONS REJECT BLAIR’S CLOSENESS TO THE US
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

Tony Blair's "shoulder to shoulder" support for America is rejected today by a majority of British people, who believe it is more important to have good relations with European countries.

A poll by NOP for The Independent found that 64 per cent of people think that having good relations with Britain's European Union partners is more important than with the United States, while only 25 per cent believe the relationship with the US should take priority.

The findings are a setback to Mr Blair and may embarrass him on the eve of tomorrow's visit to Britain by Jacques Chirac, the French President, who wants Europe to become an alternative centre of power to America. Although Mr Blair is determined to act as a "bridge" between the US and EU, he vowed during a visit to Washington last week that Britain's strong bond with America would continue for as long as he remained Prime Minister.

Despite public scepticism about the EU, people would rather Britain keep closer to Europe than America. The poll's results will be seen as evidence of hostility to President George Bush in Britain and opposition to Mr Blair's decision to back him over Iraq rather than pursue a "European solution."

There is better news for the Prime Minister on other fronts. According to NOP, Labour (on 39 per cent) has opened a commanding nine-point lead over the Tories (30 per cent), with the Liberal Democrats on 20 per cent, enough to give Mr Blair a majority of more than 150. Labour is up three points since month's last NOP/Independent survey, the Tories down four points and the Liberal Democrats down one.

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3//The Daily Star, Lebanon Wednesday, November 17, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition...

HARD-LINE IRANIAN MPs RAIL AGAINST NUCLEAR DEAL
Compiled by Daily Star staff

Pragmatists in Iran's clerical regime were under pressure from hard-liners on Tuesday who lined up to condemn an agreement to suspend sensitive nuclear activities in line with international demands.

At a noisy session in the hard-line-controlled Parliament, one deputy likened Iran's deal with Britain, France and Germany to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians, considered by the Islamic Republic as an act of "treason."

"We agreed to make 13 precise commitments while the Europeans only made four vague ones," seethed conservative MP Ahmad Tavakoli, referring to the text of an accord agreed upon late Sunday between Iranian and European diplomats.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed Monday that Iran has pledged to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities as of Nov. 22.

The suspension came ahead of an IAEA meeting in Vienna on Nov. 25 that will decide whether to take Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. By agreeing to a suspension, Iran is likely to escape such a fate.

Lawmakers summoned Hassan Rowhani, the top nuclear negotiator, to a closed session of the Parliament to question him over the agreement.

The deal brokered by Europe's so-called "big three" offered Iran trade, security and technological incentives in return for the "confidence-building measures" aimed at easing widespread fears the regime is seeking nuclear weapons.

(SNIP)

"The concessions that we accepted compared to the commitments the Europeans made is like us offering a rare pearl in return for a lollipop," said Ali Larijani, another top official who represents supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Supreme National Security Council.

“This accord goes against our national interests," said Rafaat Bayat, another hard-line MP. "I say to the United States and the Europeans, and in particular France who insists a lot on the suspension of enrichment, that our parliament will not accept anything that goes against our national interests."

(MORE)


4//The Toronto Star, Canada Nov. 16, 2004. 06:18 AM
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Content...
MARTIN SET TO JOIN MIDEAST PEACE BID
Graham Fraser, National Affairs Writer

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin is poised to get Canada more involved in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Star has learned.

Martin leaves for Santiago, Chile, on Thursday, and Canadian and U.S. officials are working to organize a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) conference there. The two men could discuss details of how Canada can be most effective.

Bush has already welcomed a greater Canadian involvement, in his conversation with Martin on Nov. 3, when the Prime Minister phoned to congratulate the president on his re-election.

Bush's renewed mandate — he says he has political capital to spend — and the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat last week have created a sense of opportunity concerning a resumption of the peace process.

"It seems fairly evident it's a Number One priority for President Bush," a U.S. State Department official said yesterday, confirming that Bush and Martin had discussed greater Canadian involvement in the Middle East peace process. "Whatever help the international community brings will increase chances for success."

Martin believes Canada can play an important role by helping the Palestinian Authority run fair elections on Jan. 9, supporting it as it develops governing and financial institutions and structures, and assist it in the creation of reliable and effective security services. It's the type of role Canada is playing in Haiti and seeking to play in other failed or failing states.

The Prime Minister has already discussed a greater Canadian involvement in the Middle East peace process with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, who was the chief Palestinian negotiator for the "final status" talks with Israel in 2000. They have all responded favourably to the idea.

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5//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong Nov 17, 2004
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FK17Aa02.html

ASIA’S TICKING NUCLEAR TIME-BOMB
By Alan Boyd

SYDNEY - Asia's relentless pursuit of nuclear energy is causing a few sleepless nights for the anti-terrorism community as the security focus shifts from rogue states with regional ambitions to the equally sinister back door of individual opportunism.

A summit of 18 Asia-Pacific security ministers in Sydney late last week was told that few states had safeguards in place to prevent the illicit export of nuclear materials that could be used to make explosive devices or hold countries to ransom.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) even went so far as to label the threat posed by this trade as "a race against time", noting that there had been about 630 confirmed incidents of trafficking in nuclear or other radioactive materials since 1993.

"We need to do all we can to work on the new phenomenon called nuclear terrorism, which was sprung on us after [September 11, 2001] when we realized terrorists had become more sophisticated and had shown an interest in nuclear and radioactive material," IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei said at the talks.

For now, the response is stronger on rhetoric than reason, with politicians in Sydney committing their governments to "expand and enhance the nuclear safeguards and security framework," but offering few leads on how these nebulous aims might be achieved.

The United Kingdom, the United States, France and the Soviet Union, the four original nuclear powers, pledged after China's entry into the select club three decades ago to freeze the spread of the technology in Asia as a Cold War buffer.

There was some logic in this approach, given that six of the 14 known nuclear alerts have occurred in the Asia-Pacific region, dating back to the decision by US president Harry S Truman to send atomic weapons to Guam in 1950 for possible use against China.

More recently, forces from Japan, the US and the Soviet Union went on a war footing in 1984 after a rogue officer in the Soviet navy sent an unauthorized message to nuclear-armed vessels approving a strike.

Two confrontations have occurred since 1999 between India and Pakistan that almost resulted in a nuclear exchange; the first was over Kashmir and the second followed an attack by Islamic militants on the Indian parliament.

But although there are still only three declared nuclear powers in Asia - China, Pakistan and India - the region has 100 reactors for research and power generation that some security experts believe pose a potentially bigger challenge due to the physical impossibility of accounting for every atom of radioactive material. According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), which represents commercial interests in the nuclear field, Asia is the only region in the world where nuclear power is "growing significantly."

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