November 29, 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 29, 2004

1//The Moscow Times, Russia-- OPINION: A MAJOR SETBACK FOR PUTIN (The Kremlin has painted itself into a corner, and a major foreign policy setback now seems inevitable. Unfortunately, this means a setback for Russia as a whole, because the relations between the two largest Slavic nations are far too dependent on the regime in Moscow. While the Kremlin has come out against a unipolar world in international relations, it has built a centrist system at home that is now producing negative consequences for the entire country…The events of recent days in Ukraine brilliantly illustrate citizens' power and potential. It was their active protest that disrupted Kuchma's well thought-out plan to hold on to power while formally transferring it to his successor.)

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--VOTING IN THE SHADOW OF FEAR AND DEATH IN IRAQ’S NORTH (Iraqi officials say holding election in parts of Iraq's main northern city of Mosul may not be possible, with policemen afraid to wear their uniforms and voter registration offices yet to open. A virtually nonexistent police force and the daily killing of Iraqi soldiers and national guard have raised serious concerns as to whether residents of this ethnically mixed city would be able, let alone willing and brave enough to vote on Jan. 30…The plan was to open 21 registration offices in all of Mosul districts out of a total of 55 in the entire province, which is divided into nine districts, according to Kashmula. He said that in contrast to the city, registration centres are already open in many rural areas of the province. “Unlike the city, the influence of tribal leaders in these areas is helping keep the security situation in check,” he said. But it is unclear how much progress there has been in the electoral process given the weeks of curfews and bridge closings imposed on the city after insurgents attacked police stations in mid-November, prompting 80 per cent of the 5,000-strong force to quit.)

3//The Japan Times, Japan--ONO EYES IRAQ EXIT IN DECEMBER 2005 (Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono raised the possibility Sunday that the Self-Defense Forces' mission in Iraq will end in late 2005."The mandate for the multinational force (in Iraq) will end in December next year," Ono said on an NHK talk show in the morning. "That is perhaps one break-off point" for the Ground Self-Defense Force mission there, he said…It is the first time a government official has publicly mentioned a time frame for bringing the troops home. The Iraq mission currently is set to expire Dec. 14…By hinting at an exit strategy, Ono was apparently trying to soften domestic opposition to extending the GSDF mission beyond its current deadline…The government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has given strong hints that the Cabinet will approve an extension of the mission in the southern city of Samawah for one year.)

4//The Globe and Mail, Canada--CHINA IN TALKS TO BUY CALGARY OIL GIANT (The Chinese government is in discussions to acquire Calgary-based oil and gas giant Husky Energy Inc. from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, in the emerging Asian power's latest move to deepen its economic ties with resource-rich countries such as Canada…China has embarked on a global hunt to secure resources for its booming economy. Chinese state firms are already active in Sudan and Peru, and are scouting investment opportunities in other countries, including Ecuador, Chile, Australia and Venezuela. Canada's oil sands have been scrutinized as well. This summer, a delegation of Chinese executives and engineers visited oil-sands firms, including Husky. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said last month that he understood that the delegation was reviewing possible investments with Beijing.)

5//The Independent, UK-- KING HUSSEIN’S FAVOURED SON LOSES CLAIM TO JORDAN’S THRONE (The King of Jordan announced an abrupt change to his succession plans yesterday, stripping his half-brother, Hamza bin Hussein, of the title crown prince. King Abdullah II broke the news in an unscheduled televised message to Hamza, saying that the move would "allow you to have more freedom of movement". The decision means that 24-year-old Hamza, a college student in the US, is no longer heir to the throne. Instead, according to the country's constitution, the heir will be the king's eldest son, 10-year-old Hussein… Hamza, who bears a striking resemblance to his late father, has been an undergraduate student in political science at an American university for the past three years...While he has delivered speeches in the past urging reform in Muslim thinking and criticising Islamic extremism, his position as crown prince involved no political duties. A senior aide to the King insisted yesterday that there were no political ramifications in the move. "It should not be read in any way other than in the constitutional, brotherly and positive sense," said the official.)

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1//The Moscow Times, Russia Monday, November 29, 2004. Page 9. http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/11/29/008.html

OPINION: A MAJOR SETBACK FOR PUTIN

By Nikolai Petrov

Nikolai Petrov is a scholar-in-residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center.

Whatever the outcome of Ukraine's current political crisis, it already amounts to a significant victory for the Ukrainian people and an equally significant defeat for the Kremlin and for President Vladimir Putin personally.

(SNIP)

The significance of the outcome of Ukraine's political crisis for the fate of democracy in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, however, is very great indeed. In Ukraine, citizens are defending their right to be called citizens and their right to choose their leaders. In Ukraine, the people are determining the extent to which democracy can be managed and breaking up the games played by the ruling elite. The current crisis will determine to what extent a so-called managed democracy can survive the transfer of power. And Russia will learn whether its neighbor will be governed by a regime more or less democratic than Russia itself.

Perhaps no one in Russia has done as much to ensure victory for Viktor Yushchenko as Putin. By its open intervention in the Ukrainian presidential election, the Kremlin intended to assert its right to determine the internal development of the largest and most important country in the so-called near abroad.

But the Kremlin's enormous investment in the Ukrainian election not only failed to strengthen but actually weakened Russia's standing on the world stage. This intervention disrupted the Kremlin's ongoing attempt to integrate post-Soviet space, which even before this election was widely viewed as neo-imperialistic. And the Kremlin's actions led to the rise of anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine and around the world.

By playing such an active role, the Kremlin raised the stakes across the board. Thanks to its efforts, the choice now being made by the Ukrainian people has come to seem a historical one. The opposition's battle against a candidate foisted upon them by the regime now looks like a national liberation movement.

The Kremlin has painted itself into a corner, and a major foreign policy setback now seems inevitable. Unfortunately, this means a setback for Russia as a whole, because the relations between the two largest Slavic nations are far too dependent on the regime in Moscow. While the Kremlin has come out against a unipolar world in international relations, it has built a centrist system at home that is now producing negative consequences for the entire country.(SNIP)

The events of recent days in Ukraine brilliantly illustrate citizens' power and potential. It was their active protest that disrupted Kuchma's well thought-out plan to hold on to power while formally transferring it to his successor.

The hostage crisis in Beslan put Putin's new system of governance to the test in a domestic crisis. Now the Ukrainian election has tested that system in an external crisis. In both cases, Putin's system broke down. Following Beslan, Putin announced the cancellation of direct gubernatorial elections. Will direct presidential elections be the next to go?

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan Monday, November 29, 2004
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/news/news9.htm

VOTING IN THE SHADOW OF FEAR AND DEATH IN IRAQ’S NORTH

MOSUL (AFP) — Iraqi officials say holding election in parts of Iraq's main northern city of Mosul may not be possible, with policemen afraid to wear their uniforms and voter registration offices yet to open. A virtually nonexistent police force and the daily killing of Iraqi soldiers and national guard have raised serious concerns as to whether residents of this ethnically mixed city would be able, let alone willing and brave enough to vote on Jan. 30.

“ If the situation remains like this, then conducting elections in the interior would be difficult,” says Duraid Kashmula, governor of Ninevah province, referring to Mosul, the area's administrative centre.

About three quarters of the province's estimated population of three million lives in Mosul and its suburbs.

Kashmula, speaking to AFP late Friday, said members of a preparatory committee sent from Baghdad by the independent electoral commission, the body charged with overseeing national elections, left Mosul in the wake of the recent violence and that no date has been fixed yet for their return.

“ This is why none of the voter registration centres have been opened yet in Mosul,” he said.

The plan was to open 21 registration offices in all of Mosul districts out of a total of 55 in the entire province, which is divided into nine districts, according to Kashmula. He said that in contrast to the city, registration centres are already open in many rural areas of the province. “Unlike the city, the influence of tribal leaders in these areas is helping keep the security situation in check,” he said.

(SNIP)

But it is unclear how much progress there has been in the electoral process given the weeks of curfews and bridge closings imposed on the city after insurgents attacked police stations in mid-November, prompting 80 per cent of the 5,000-strong force to quit.

The governor himself has been the target of several assassination attempts in recent weeks, according to the US military. His movements are restricted.

(SNIP)

“Insurgents fear elections, because they know if people are able to vote and have a voice and determination of their government, then that would set back their objectives,” said Brigadier General Carter Ham, commander of US-led multinational forces in northern Iraq.

Ham said he will present a three-step proposal to the Iraqi interior ministry on rebuilding the city's a demoralised police force, but that it will not happen by January and may take until July to fully implement.

Having US soldiers stand guard at ballot boxes is the last thing Ham wants to see, saying that Iraqi soldiers and national guard will have to bear the brunt of securing elections.

But they too are in the firing line and fear has spread in their ranks with at least 57 bodies, many belonging to soldiers and national guard found in Mosul in the past 10 days.

3//The Japan Times, Japan November 29, 2004
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20041129a1.htm

ONO EYES IRAQ EXIT IN DECEMBER 2005

U.N. mandate cited to soften opposition

Defense Agency chief Yoshinori Ono raised the possibility Sunday that the Self-Defense Forces' mission in Iraq will end in late 2005.

" The mandate for the multinational force (in Iraq) will end in December next year," Ono said on an NHK talk show in the morning. "That is perhaps one break-off point" for the Ground Self-Defense Force mission there, he said.

Under a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in June, the mandate for the U.S.-led multinational force in Iraq will expire with the completion of the political process. This includes holding direct elections for forming a transitional government and drafting a permanent constitution leading to a constitutionally elected government by Dec. 31, 2005.

It is the first time a government official has publicly mentioned a time frame for bringing the troops home. The Iraq mission currently is set to expire Dec. 14.

By hinting at an exit strategy, Ono was apparently trying to soften domestic opposition to extending the GSDF mission beyond its current deadline.

The government of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has given strong hints that the Cabinet will approve an extension of the mission in the southern city of Samawah for one year.

However, members of the ruling coalition had been calling for the government to clarify when the troops would be pulled out if the deadline is to be extended.

At the same time, there have been calls for the extension of the mission to be short, especially because the Dutch troops that have been in charge of maintaining the peace in the Samawah area will withdraw in March.

Political observers said Ono was also probably attempting to buttress the government's argument for a one-year extension by drawing attention to the termination of the mandate given to the multinational forces.

Meanwhile, Koizumi said later in the day that Japan will discuss with other countries how to maintain security in Samawah after the Dutch pull out, with the extension of Japan's troop deployment in mind.

(MORE)

4//The Globe and Mail, Canada Friday, November 26, 2004 Page A1
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleN...

CHINA IN TALKS TO BUY CALGARY OIL GIANT

By Jacquie McNish, Patrick Brethour

TORONTO, CALGARY -- The Chinese government is in discussions to acquire Calgary-based oil and gas giant Husky Energy Inc. from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, in the emerging Asian power's latest move to deepen its economic ties with resource-rich countries such as Canada.

Sources familiar with the talks said representatives from the Li family and China entered negotiations for what would be a multibillion-dollar takeover several weeks ago in Beijing and Hong Kong.

China is understood to be seeking to acquire full control of Husky through one of its state-owned energy companies, but it was unclear which agency might make the bid. State-controlled PetroChina Co. Ltd. discussed a possible acquisition of Husky with the Li family two years ago, but the talks foundered on price.

(SNIP)

The Li family controls about 71 per cent of Husky's shares through personal holdings and their Hong Kong company, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. A spokeswoman for Hutchison was unavailable yesterday; a spokesman for Husky declined to comment.

China has embarked on a global hunt to secure resources for its booming economy. Chinese state firms are already active in Sudan and Peru, and are scouting investment opportunities in other countries, including Ecuador, Chile, Australia and Venezuela.

Canada's oil sands have been scrutinized as well. This summer, a delegation of Chinese executives and engineers visited oil-sands firms, including Husky. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said last month that he understood that the delegation was reviewing possible investments with Beijing.

(MORE)

5//The Independent, UK 29 November 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=587762

KING HUSSEIN’S FAVOURED SON LOSES CLAIM TO JORDAN’S THRONE

By Danielle Demetriou

The King of Jordan announced an abrupt change to his succession plans yesterday, stripping his half-brother, Hamza bin Hussein, of the title crown prince.

King Abdullah II broke the news in an unscheduled televised message to Hamza, saying that the move would "allow you to have more freedom of movement".

The decision means that 24-year-old Hamza, a college student in the US, is no longer heir to the throne. Instead, according to the country's constitution, the heir will be the king's eldest son, 10-year-old Hussein.

It was only 12 days before he died of cancer in February 1999 that the previous monarch, King Hussein, unexpectedly named Abdullah, the son of his second wife, as his successor.

Hours after his father died, King Abdullah elevated Hamza, the son of the late king's fourth wife, to the role of crown prince. The late King Hussein, who had 11 children with four wives, had long made public his affection for Hamza, whom he described as the "delight of my eye".

It appears that the saga of the kingdom's succession plans will continue.

(SNIP)

Hamza, who bears a striking resemblance to his late father, has been an undergraduate student in political science at an American university for the past three years.

Last year, he married Princess Noor, 22, who attends the same university, which cannot be named for security reasons. While he has delivered speeches in the past urging reform in Muslim thinking and criticising Islamic extremism, his position as crown prince involved no political duties.

Instead, as part of his duties, Hamza represented the king at events both at home and abroad. Hamza also oversaw a number of prestigious national institutions, including a prominent think-tank.

A senior aide to the King insisted yesterday that there were no political ramifications in the move."It should not be read in any way other than in the constitutional, brotherly and positive sense," said the official.