December 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 DECEMBER 22, 2004

1//The Independent, UK--TEN MORE YEARS? (Tony Blair flew into Iraq yesterday, promising democracy. But, outside the ring of security that escorted him, another day of gruesome violence was unfolding - including a rocket attack on a US base in Mosul that claimed at least 24 lives. And, against a backdrop of continuing carnage, The Independent has learned a cross-party group of MPs has returned from Iraq convinced British troops may have to be deployed there for at least another 10 years. Unlike the Prime Minister, the Commons Defence Select Committee was unable to visit Baghdad because the security situation was too dangerous. One senior member of the committee said: "It will take 10 to 15 years at least [before troops can be fully withdrawn]. It is another Cyprus. The Iraqis just cannot cope with the security situation and won't be able to for years.")

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon--SYRIAN FRONTIER BECOMES FRONTLINE IN IRAQI CONFLICT (…In response to U.S. and Iraqi pressure, the Syrian authorities since September have raised and strengthened the berm and added rows of barbed wire and in some places flood lights. But securing the border completely is a near impossible task. The border police are under-funded and lack equipment and training. Furthermore the anticipated cooperation on intelligence-sharing between Syrian and Iraqi border authorities has not materialized. "To be honest it's not just the Syrians' fault. The Syrians are relatively well organized unlike the Iraqis," said a Western diplomat in Damascus. Iraqi border posts are routinely attacked by insurgents. Many of the positions have been abandoned by their Iraqi defenders and burned down. Syrian officials say they are doing what they can to secure the border but insist it is impossible to block all infiltrators.)

3//Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran--IRAN HAS NO OBJECTION TO US INVOLVEMENT IN NUCLEAR TALKS (Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee
of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hossein Mousavian here Tuesday said that Iran has no objection to the US involvement in the nuclear talks as suggested by the Europeans and their extensive attempts to this effect. He expressed his belief that at this stage there is no need for holding direct talks with the US on the issue. "Obviously, if the US aims to disrupt the process of ongoing Iran-Eu3 talks, the impact will be quite evident… In fact, Europe itself is undergoing trial in an effort to display its abilities to the world. It would be quite natural for Europeans to be challenged by the US. However, this should be settled between the two," he added.)

4//The Daily Times, Pakistan--PAKISTANI AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET MORE OFTEN (Pakistan and Russia concluded the two-day session of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability on Tuesday with a commitment to increase bilateral cooperation and enhance interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries… "The two sides expressed satisfaction over the positive development of their bilateral cooperation in various areas," the statement said. The next meeting of the group will be held in Moscow in mid-2005. …During the meeting of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability, Pakistan and Russia agreed to make a joint strategy to combat terrorism, including sharing intelligence, sources said.)

5//The Moscow Times, Russia--PUTIN SAYS HE KNOWS MYSTERY BUYER (President Vladimir Putin reassured the world Tuesday that the new owners of Yuganskneftegaz had many years of experience in the energy sector, but stopped short of disclosing who was behind the mystery shell company that won the producer of 10 percent of the nation's oil output. "As far as I know, the shareholders of Baikal Finance Group are individuals who have been working in the energy sector for many years," Putin said during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, making his first comments about an auction that shocked investors and the U.S. government by awarding Yukos' prize asset to a shell company registered at the same address as a grocery store in Tver. ...The White House issued a strong statement Tuesday protesting the auction, which came as the culmination of an 18-month campaign against Yukos that is widely seen as a state attempt to take over the company and eliminate any political threat posed by its jailed founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. ...U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil had been on track to buy a significant stake in Yukos before Khodorkovsky's jailing in October last year.)

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1//The Independent, UK 22 December 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/world...

TEN MORE YEARS?
Senior MPs warn British troops will be in Iraq for a decade, as Blair in Baghdad proclaims: 'We are not a nation of quitters'

By Donald Macintyre in Baghdad and Colin Brown

Tony Blair flew into Iraq yesterday, promising democracy. But, outside the ring of security that escorted him, another day of gruesome violence was unfolding - including a rocket attack on a US base in Mosul that claimed at least 24 lives.

And, against a backdrop of continuing carnage, The Independent has learned a cross-party group of MPs has returned from Iraq convinced British troops may have to be deployed there for at least another 10 years.

Unlike the Prime Minister, the Commons Defence Select Committee was unable to visit Baghdad because the security situation was too dangerous.

One senior member of the committee said: "It will take 10 to 15 years at least [before troops can be fully withdrawn]. It is another Cyprus. The Iraqis just cannot cope with the security situation and won't be able to for years."

As Mr Blair was proclaiming Britain would stay the course, a bloody illustration of the dangers encountered by US and British troops was playing out in the northern city of Mosul.

At about noon yesterday, insurgents hit a dining hall tent at a US base, killing at least two dozen US and Iraqi soldiers and contractors and injuring 60. Amid the screaming and smoke that followed, quick-thinking soldiers turned their lunch tables upside down, placed the wounded on them and carried them to the car park.

At a press conference with the Iraqi interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, Mr Blair declared that Britain was not a "nation of quitters." He was speaking after becoming the first foreign head of government to visit Iraq since the installation of the interim government in June, and the first British premier to go to Baghdad since Winston Churchill.

Mr Blair said that he would not be deterred by the recent and lethal wave of suicide bombings. He declared: "What I feel is that the danger people are facing is coming from the insurgents who are trying to destroy the possibility of the country having democracy. Where do we stand in that fight? On the side of democracy.''

(MORE)

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Wednesday, December 22, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article...

SYRIAN FRONTIER BECOMES FRONTLINE IN IRAQI CONFLICT
Authorities increase border security but lack equipment, training

By Nicholas Blanford
Special to The Daily Star

HARI, Syria-Iraq border: Hassan Qabbor clutches a photograph of his son, Mari, and points to the spot on the roof of his single-story home where the 16-year-old boy was killed.

"He was fetching water from the tank when the Americans shot him. He died immediately. We didn't even take him to the hospital," the farmer said.

Qabbor, who has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in a Damascus court, said the fatal shots were fired from a concrete watch tower on the edge of a sprawling American military base inside Iraq a few hundred meters to the east.

Normally a neglected backwater, Syria's frontier region has found itself a simmering frontline in Iraq's bloody conflict and subject to unusual international scrutiny.

American and Iraqi officials accuse Syria of failing to take adequate action to prevent militants from entering Iraq. They say the Syrians are doing little to stop former Iraqi Baathist officials from directing and funding the insurgency from their safe haven in Damascus.

(SNIP)

Still, the influence of foreign fighters on the insurgency may have been exaggerated given the small numbers of Arab volunteers that have been captured or killed in Iraq. Furthermore, of Iraq's four Arab neighbors, only Syria is regularly singled out for criticism, even though fighters are suspected to have entered from Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

"It's been blown out of proportion," said a diplomat in Damascus. "There are individuals helping people enter Iraq but I don't think it is at a strategic level with the knowledge and assistance of the government and I don't think it's very well organized."

(SNIP)

In response to U.S. and Iraqi pressure, the Syrian authorities since September have raised and strengthened the berm and added rows of barbed wire and in some places flood lights.

But securing the border completely is a near impossible task. The border police are under-funded and lack equipment and training.

Furthermore the anticipated cooperation on intelligence-sharing between Syrian and Iraqi border authorities has not materialized.

"To be honest it's not just the Syrians' fault. The Syrians are relatively well organized unlike the Iraqis," said a Western diplomat in Damascus.

Iraqi border posts are routinely attacked by insurgents. Many of the positions have been abandoned by their Iraqi defenders and burned down.

Syrian officials say they are doing what they can to secure the border but insist it is impossible to block all infiltrators.

"Committees have been set up with Iraq to address this issue. We are playing a constructive role toward the stability and security of Iraq. Iraq's stability is in our interest," said Mehdi Dakhlallah, Syria's information minister.

Other than tightening border security, the Syrian authorities appear to be cracking down on Islamists connected to the insurgency in Iraq. Sixteen Sunni clerics were arrested two weeks ago for mobilizing recruits. Several Islamist fighters who fought in Iraq and returned home have been arrested.

Conservative Sunni clerics continue to condemn American policy in Iraq, but are careful not to be seen encouraging volunteers for the insurgency.

(MORE)

3//Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran Wed 2004-12-22
http://www.irna.ir/?SAB=OK&LANG=EN&PAR...

IRAN HAS NO OBJECTION TO US INVOLVEMENT IN NUCLEAR TALKS

Tehran, Dec 21, IRNA -- Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hossein Mousavian here Tuesday said that Iran has no objection to the US involvement in the nuclear talks as suggested by the Europeans and their extensive attempts to this effect.

He expressed his belief that at this stage there is no need for holding direct talks with the US on the issue.

"Obviously, if the US aims to disrupt the process of ongoing Iran-Eu3 talks, the impact will be quite evident.

"While EU-US exchange of views on Iran`s nuclear program is of significance to us, we are mainly dealing with EU, not the US," he added.

Concerning the possibility of holding talks with US in future, he noted that though such a prospect cannot be left off, it is hard to say when this might take place.

"But I can definitely say that at this point there is no need to get involved in a direct challenge with US on the issue.

"We are actually dealing with EU. Therefore, it is up to the Europeans themselves to settle their differences of view on Iran's nuclear dossier with the US," he added.

He said that in his opinion the US is not intent on negotiating with Iran on its nuclear issue.

"They are rather interested in holding comprehensive talks with Iran about all the discrepancies, while they don't favor any party to meddle, even if the Europeans wish to play such a part," he added.

Mousavian noted that in his belief, it is not yet the proper time for such negotiations and stressed that no focus should be placed on it at present.

"A test on Iran's nuclear issue is currently underway in cooperation with EU, while Europe should prove that it will manage to fulfill its commitments in this regard.

"In fact, Europe itself is undergoing trial in an effort to display its abilities to the world. It would be quite natural for Europeans to be challenged by the US. However, this should be
settled between the two," he added.

(MORE)

4//The Daily Times, Pakistan Wednesday, December 22, 2004
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?...

PAKISTANI AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET MORE OFTEN
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia concluded the two-day session of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability on Tuesday with a commitment to increase bilateral cooperation and enhance interaction between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

"The two sides discussed a wide range of issues including terrorism, non-proliferation as well as bilateral cooperation in various areas," an official statement said.

(SNIP)

"The two sides expressed satisfaction over the positive development of their bilateral cooperation in various areas," the statement said. The next meeting of the group will be held in Moscow in mid-2005. The date of the meeting will be decided through diplomatic channels. Kislyak also called on Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and the minister of state for Foreign Affairs, Khusro Bakhtiar, on Tuesday.

In their meeting, Kislyak and Bakhtiar discussed noted that the bilateral relationship between the two countries had improved since the visit of President Pervez Musharraf to Moscow in 2003.

The minister of state hoped the ongoing Pakistan-India dialogue would lead to a resolution of all outstanding disputes including the one over Kashmir, the statement said Bakhtiar appreciated the mediator role played by Russian President Putin during the military standoff between Pakistan and India in 2002 and emphasised the need for greater cooperation between Islamabad and Moscow in various fields. Kislyak appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in South Asia and welcomed the dialogue between Pakistan and India, the statement said.

Online adds: During the meeting of the Consultative Group on Strategic Stability, Pakistan and Russia agreed to make a joint strategy to combat terrorism, including sharing intelligence, sources said.

FO sources said that in the past, Pakistan and Russia had exchanged terrorism-related information that helped the two countries combat terrorism on their soil. Also, the two countries would work together to check human trafficking and smuggling. Ways to boost defence relations also came under discussion. However, Pakistan opposed the Russian policy of pre-emptive strikes and said this could harm their anti-terror campaign.

5//The Moscow Times, Russia Wednesday, December 22, 2004. Page 1.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/storie...

PUTIN SAYS HE KNOWS MYSTERY BUYER
By Catherine Belton, Staff Writer

President Vladimir Putin reassured the world Tuesday that the new owners of Yuganskneftegaz had many years of experience in the energy sector, but stopped short of disclosing who was behind the mystery shell company that won the producer of 10 percent of the nation's oil output.

"As far as I know, the shareholders of Baikal Finance Group are individuals who have been working in the energy sector for many years," Putin said during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, making his first comments about an auction that shocked investors and the U.S. government by awarding Yukos' prize asset to a shell company registered at the same address as a grocery store in Tver.

Putin's remarks were the first time a Russian government official has acknowledged to knowing who is behind Sunday's winning bidder, Baikal Finance Group. On Monday, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said he had no idea.

Despite threats of new international legal action from Yukos on Monday, Putin defended the sale as being in accordance with Russian law and indicated that other energy companies could eventually take ownership or management of Yugansk.

"As far as I am informed, [the shareholders] intend to build relations with other energy companies in Russia with interest in this asset," he said, adding that the law allows for "all companies to work with the asset after the sale."

In a sign he is looking for allies, he also said that Chinese oil major CNPC could take a role in developing the unit.

But the U.S. government increased its criticism of the sale. The White House issued a strong statement Tuesday protesting the auction, which came as the culmination of an 18-month campaign against Yukos that is widely seen as a state attempt to take over the company and eliminate any political threat posed by its jailed founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

"We are disappointed that Russia went ahead with the auction of the Yukos subsidiary," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "We have communicated to the Russian government repeatedly that its handling of the Yukos matter could have a chilling effect on foreign investment in Russia and affect its role in the global economy."

U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil had been on track to buy a significant stake in Yukos before Khodorkovsky's jailing in October last year.

(MORE)