November 22, 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 22, 2004

1//The Independent, UK--JACKSON FEARS ARMY WILL REMAIN IN IRAQ FOR YEARS (British troops will be sent to help the US in conflict zones anywhere inside Iraq, prompting fears that soldiers could be stuck in the most dangerous parts of the country fighting insurgents for years to come. General Sir Mike Jackson, the officer commanding the Army, said in an interview with The Independent yesterday that troops could again be dispatched outside the Basra area to help the US and Iraqi forces if the insurgent threat escalates. The deployment could also go on beyond the end of 2005 when the US mandate for the coalition to stay in the country expires. "It is event-driven," he said.)

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--TEHRAN SAYS MEETING POWELL AT IRAQ CONFERENCE POINTLESS (Iran on Sunday ruled out the prospect of any meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the sidelines of an international conference on Iraq, saying direct talks would be pointless as he is about to step down from his post. The foreign ministry also said Iran would be attending the two-day conference, which opens at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, to call for a withdrawal of US troops from its neighbour and issue a protest against US actions there. "Powell had four years to change the attitude of the United States towards Iran but he didn't. Now he is not in charge anymore, and it would not be very useful to meet him," ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters…The United States is hoping the meeting will rally international support for efforts to restore order in violence-wracked Iraq and hold elections there in January.)

3//The News International, Pakistan--N KOREA TO BOLSTER DETERENCE AGAINST US 'THREAT' (North Korea on Sunday vowed to bolster its defences against what it called the threat of nuclear war from the United States. Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper and official mouthpiece for the ruling communist party, made the pledge one day after US President George W Bush repeated a call for Pyongyang to drop its drive for nuclear weapons…Japanese media reported early this month Washington had studied and practiced a scenario of using up to 30 nuclear bombs to repel a possible North Korean invasion of South Korea.)

4//The Toronto Star, Canada--MARTIN PUSHES FOR NEW WORLD FORUM, UN REFORM (An animated Prime Minister Paul Martin seized every last second of an international summit today to make a passionate pitch for his pet project of reforming world institutions…Martin pushed his ideas by arguing that countries need a more functional forum to communicate with each other, and that the UN needs an expanded mandate to protect people from violence. Several countries eagerly endorsed his concept of a new L-20 - a group of existing and emerging economic powers. But U.S. President George W. Bush remained skeptical…China, South Korea and Indonesia added their backing of the L-20 concept to the support Martin has already received from the leaders of France, Mexico, Russia and Britain…Martin said his proposed L-20 would make it easier for the world to move forward on urgent matters without getting caught up in interminable debates among 190 members at the United Nations.)

5//The Moscow Times, Russia--YUGANSK GOES ON THE BLOCK FOR $8.6 BLN (Yukos' main production unit, Yuganskneftegaz, will be sold at auction with a starting price of $8.65 billion, confirming investors' worst fears that the country's biggest oil exporter will be carved up amid massive new tax claims…In what appeared to be a warning of possible production disruptions ahead, former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky said the sale announcement meant responsibility for the oil major's production now lay in the state's hands. The battle between President Vladimir Putin and Khodorkovsky, the founder of Yukos majority shareholder Group Menatep, is reaching its crescendo with the country's biggest oil exporter on the brink of breakup, Khodorkovsky making threats from jail and the Kremlin's reputation among investors in tatters.)

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1//The Independent, UK 22 November 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=585402

JACKSON FEARS ARMY WILL REMAIN IN IRAQ FOR YEARS
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor

British troops will be sent to help the US in conflict zones anywhere inside Iraq, prompting fears that soldiers could be stuck in the most dangerous parts of the country fighting insurgents for years to come.

General Sir Mike Jackson, the officer commanding the Army, said in an interview with The Independent yesterday that troops could again be dispatched outside the Basra area to help the US and Iraqi forces if the insurgent threat escalates. The deployment could also go on beyond the end of 2005 when the US mandate for the coalition to stay in the country expires. "It is event-driven," he said.

Sir Mike's remarks will raise fears among critics of the war that Britain is being sucked deeper into the mire in Iraq by extending its mission.

Four British soldiers have died in suicide attacks and bombings since the Black Watch was sent north to support the US-led onslaught on Fallujah three weeks ago. It was the first time UK troops have left the British-controlled area of Basra.

Aware of the unpopularity of the deployment, the Government has been at pains to say that the Black Watch troops will be back home by Christmas. And Tony Blair said last month that he "did not believe that there will be a further requirement for other troops" to be deployed away from Basra.

"Yes, we have said that the Black Watch will come back by Christmas," the Prime Minister said. "As to what then happens, we cannot be sure. We do not believe that there will be a further requirement for other troops, but I cannot guarantee that, because, obviously, I do not know the situation that may arise."

Meanwhile, Iraqi authorities announced yesterday that national elections would be held on 30 January despite escalating violence. The elections will clash with the annual haj, when millions of pilgrims travel overland through Iraq. They will come from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, making it impossible to seal Iraq's borders.

(MORE)


2//The Jordan Times, Jordan Monday, November 22, 2004
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/news/news6.htm

TEHRAN SAYS MEETING POWELL AT IRAQ CONFERENCE POINTLESS

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran on Sunday ruled out the prospect of any meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the sidelines of an international conference on Iraq, saying direct talks would be pointless as he is about to step down from his post.

The foreign ministry also said Iran would be attending the two-day conference, which opens at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, to call for a withdrawal of US troops from its neighbour and issue a protest against US actions there.

"Powell had four years to change the attitude of the United States towards Iran but he didn't. Now he is not in charge anymore, and it would not be very useful to meet him," ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

But Asefi said Iran would "take part in the Sharm El Sheikh conference with force" and "protest against the methods of the United States, insist on the necessity of withdrawing American troops from Iraq and the organisation of elections on schedule."

(SNIP)

The Iraq conference will gather some 20 foreign ministers and four international organisations, and has been in the pipeline ever since Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi called for an international forum during a Cairo visit in July.

Iran is due to send Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi.

The United States is hoping the meeting will rally international support for efforts to restore order in violence-wracked Iraq and hold elections there in January.

Last week Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said his country was ready to help the Americans get out of a 'quagmire" in Iraq, but also ruled out the immediate prospect of direct talks with Washington.

(SNIP)

On Thursday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei launched a vitriolic attack on Washington, blasting what he said were crimes committed by "infidels" in the shattered Iraq city of Fallujah.


3//The News International, Pakistan Monday November 22, 2004-- Shawal 09, 1425 A.H.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2004-daily/22-11-2004/world/w7.htm

N KOREA TO BOLSTER DETERENCE AGAINST US "THREAT"

SEOUL: North Korea on Sunday vowed to bolster its defences against what it called the threat of nuclear war from the United States.

Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper and official mouthpiece for the ruling communist party, made the pledge one day after US President George W Bush repeated a call for Pyongyang to drop its drive for nuclear weapons.

(SNIP)

Rodong claimed the United States has "worked out a nuclear war scenario against the DPRK in top secrecy and has regularly staged drills for dropping nuclear bombs."

Japanese media reported early this month Washington had studied and practiced a scenario of using up to 30 nuclear bombs to repel a possible North Korean invasion of South Korea.

North Korea has been locked in a standoff with the United States and its allies, including South Korea, which demand that the communist state give up its nuclear weapons programmes.


4//The Toronto Star, Canada Nov. 21, 2004 08:27 PM
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Content...

MARTIN PUSHES FOR NEW WORLD FORUM, UN REFORM
From Canadian Press

SANTIAGO, Chile - An animated Prime Minister Paul Martin seized every last second of an international summit today to make a passionate pitch for his pet project of reforming world institutions.

The prime minister literally had to be yanked away by his own handlers after describing in urgent tones the need for United Nations reform and for a new forum of world leaders that he wants to create.

In his ardour, he bemoaned Sudanese being slaughtered while the UN dithers, he interrupted several questions from reporters to elaborate further, and Saturday he waved off an aide who tried cutting off a press conference.

Martin again had to be pulled away today after wading in to chat with a crowd of journalists after a half-hour news conference to close the Asia-Pacific summit.

Martin pushed his ideas by arguing that countries need a more functional forum to communicate with each other, and that the UN needs an expanded mandate to protect people from violence.
Several countries eagerly endorsed his concept of a new L-20 - a group of existing and emerging economic powers. But U.S. President George W. Bush remained skeptical.

The prime minister used a baseball analogy to sum up his performance at the summit.
"I think we probably scored a double - maybe a triple - but not a home run," Martin said.
"Do I think we made progress on it? Yes, I think we did."

China, South Korea and Indonesia added their backing of the L-20 concept to the support Martin has already received from the leaders of France, Mexico, Russia and Britain.

But Bush challenged Martin to prove his idea would be anything more than a talking-heads forum where world leaders gather to make speeches before the cameras - which is why the prime minister now says he will pick one or two topics the L-20 could initially tackle, such as public health and security.

One Canadian official offered the example of possibly creating international standards on how airports react to health epidemics.

Martin said his proposed L-20 would make it easier for the world to move forward on urgent matters without getting caught up in interminable debates among 190 members at the United Nations.

And it was on the question of UN reform that Martin became most animated. He's pushing for a new rule - what he calls the "Responsibility to Protect" - that would allow international troops to step in when a country fails to stop its citizens from being killed.

(MORE


5//The Moscow Times, Russia Monday, November 22, 2004. Page 1.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/11/22/001.html

YUGANSK GOES ON THE BLOCK FOR $8.6 BLN
By Guy Faulconbridge and Catherine Belton, Staff Writers

Yukos' main production unit, Yuganskneftegaz, will be sold at auction with a starting price of $8.65 billion, confirming investors' worst fears that the country's biggest oil exporter will be carved up amid massive new tax claims.

(SNIP)

Yukos CEO Steven Theede branded the sale as "government-organized theft to settle a political score," and said that the authorities may "steal more of Yukos' assets." Management may be forced to declare bankruptcy ahead of the sale, the company's CFO, Bruce Misamore, said by telephone Friday.

In what appeared to be a warning of possible production disruptions ahead, former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky said the sale announcement meant responsibility for the oil major's production now lay in the state's hands.

The battle between President Vladimir Putin and Khodorkovsky, the founder of Yukos majority shareholder Group Menatep, is reaching its crescendo with the country's biggest oil exporter on the brink of breakup, Khodorkovsky making threats from jail and the Kremlin's reputation among investors in tatters.

"This is a game of chicken where the cars are now about to collide," said William Browder, chief executive at Hermitage Capital Management, which has $1.5 billion in Russian stocks under management.

State-controlled energy giant Gazprom has been tipped as a prime contender for Yugansk, as has Surgutneftegaz, possibly through the creation of a separate entity with foreign participation. Italian oil major Eni is being seen as a potential dealmaker.

Putin flew to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile, on Friday. In comments to Brazilian reporters, he said attempts to politicize the Yukos conflict should be resisted. But the sale announcement even drew criticism from within the Kremlin.

"This is daylight robbery," Putin economic adviser Andrei Illarionov said in an interview with The Moscow Times. "This creates serious doubt for any businessman about the existence of the rule of law."

(SNIP)

Russian officials have identified E.ON, Germany's biggest utility, as a possible bidder for Yugansk, but the company has denied the speculation.
Italy's Eni also denied reports that it may bid. But in a sign that a possible deal may be in the making, RIA-Novosti cited an official at the Italian Industry Ministry as saying that Eni had been included in a list of potential buyers by the Russian government.
But threats of litigation may scare off potential Western buyers.

(SNIP)

Russian officials have identified E.ON, Germany's biggest utility, as a possible bidder for Yugansk, but the company has denied the speculation.

Italy's Eni also denied reports that it may bid. But in a sign that a possible deal may be in the making, RIA-Novosti cited an official at the Italian Industry Ministry as saying that Eni had been included in a list of potential buyers by the Russian government.

But threats of litigation may scare off potential Western buyers.

(MORE)