May 9, 2005

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 MAY 9, 2005

1//The Independent, UK--LABOUR'S REBELS STUDY RULE BOOK (Labour MPs dusted down their party rule books this weekend as they started to think the once unthinkable - how to topple Tony Blair. His left-wing critics tried to trigger a leadership election in the last parliament but failed to muster the signatures of 20 per cent of the Parliamentary Labour Party, as required under the rules. ... But the rulebook does not make clear whether a Prime Minister can be challenged; some senior Labour sources say the "20 per cent rule" applies only when the party is in opposition. ... However, Labour insiders believe Mr Blair's fate is unlikely to be sealed by a formal challenge. A more likely vehicle would be the equivalent of the Tories' "men in grey suits." If Mr Blair lost the confidence of a majority of his MPs, they would tell him his time was up.)

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--SAMARRA COPS TRY TO BREAK REBEL GRIP (Moose is six-foot three, missing several teeth and deaf. He belongs to the new Iraqi police corps, a ragtag underdog outfit, that is meant to bring law and order to Samarra. The 432-man force, dressed in an uneven match of dark and light blue uniforms, is expected to take control of the city August 1 when it swells to 1,200 strong. More than half the ranks will consist of outside recruits. US forces are hoping the revamped cops can break the rule of intimidation imposed by insurgents in this Sunni Arab bastion 125 kilometres north of Baghdad. The men, some of them baby-faced, others middle-aged and grey, admit they lack confidence and fear a repeat of last summer when US forces withdrew from the city and rebels imposed their own rule of law for four months. Some of them remember that time with dread and don't believe they can control Samarra, without the current presence of two interior ministry commando and one public order battalion stationed around the city.)

3//The Toronto Star, Canada--AFRICA AN AL QAEDA BREEDING GROUND, CSIS WARNS (The Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns much of Africa could be fertile soil for Osama bin Laden's terrorist network to cultivate new recruits. Foreign extremist organizations such as Al Qaeda "have exploited the permissive environment of the continent," CSIS says in the report obtained by The Canadian Press. ... The newly declassified report notes that, while Muslim communities of sub-Saharan Africa have grown more militant since the advent of multi-party democracy in the mid-1990s, this militancy "is driven more by domestic politics than Islamic extremism." CSIS argues, however, that could change. ... In addition, the political instability of most West African states has left them susceptible to the "proselytizing of extremist Islamic clergy" calling for a return to strict enforcement of Muslim law. However, CSIS stresses that while western countries remain seized with the fallout of the 9/11 attacks, Africa has been subsumed by its own horrible turmoil. The report notes the terrorist outrages motivating the West are "seen as relatively minor when compared to the depredations perpetrated by domestic terrorist groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa.")

4//Xinhua Online, China--CHINA, TURKMENISTAN TO FURTHER BILATERAL TIES (Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Turkmen counterpart Saparmurad Niyazov met here Sunday and both leaders agreed to further expand trade and economic cooperation. ... Niyazov said that Turkmenistan's rich natural resources provide good opportunity for the future cooperation between the two countries. President Hu said the China is encouraging its enterprises to strengthen cooperation with Turkmenistan's counterparts in exploration of gas and oil reserves in the Central Asian country.)

RELATED: DELHI INSISTS ON PIPELINE PLAN (India will not be deterred by US opposition to a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan as it is imperative to meet the country's energy growing needs, the foreign minister said in a report on Saturday. "Our energy needs are going to increase exponentially in the next 20 years and there's no other way but to have this kind of an arrangement," Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said in an interview with The Hindu newspaper.)

5//The Scotsman, UK--CORPORATE ELITE PREPARES SECRET HQs TO ESCAPE G8 CHAOS IN CAPITAL (Fears of violent protest at this summer's G8 summit have led six of Scotland's biggest companies to draw up detailed evacuation plans. ... Hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters are expected to descend on Scotland during the three-day summit, and there are fears major businesses could be prime targets for anarchists. Such is the level of concern, the six companies involved have already tested their evacuation plan. Last month, staff were transferred from their Edinburgh offices to a "recovery centre" in nearby Livingston, West Lothian. More than 400 workers were involved in the test, relocating to premises owned by US disaster recovery group Sungard, where they were able to continue working. The test was designed to simulate what would happen if their offices became unusable in the event of a wide-scale power loss or crowd trouble.)

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1//The Independent, UK 09 May 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=636848

LABOUR'S REBELS STUDY RULE BOOK
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

Labour MPs dusted down their party rule books this weekend as they started to think the once unthinkable - how to topple Tony Blair.

His left-wing critics tried to trigger a leadership election in the last parliament but failed to muster the signatures of 20 per cent of the Parliamentary Labour Party, as required under the rules. On the face it, that hurdle is easier to jump after Thursday's general election, when the number of Labour MPs fell from 409 to 356. So the number of signatures required has dropped from 82 to 72.

Left-wingers collected the names of 62 MPs prepared to call for a leadership election last year. They are now confident of finding the necessary 72.

But the rulebook does not make clear whether a Prime Minister can be challenged; some senior Labour sources say the "20 per cent rule" applies only when the party is in opposition.

If they are right, the rebels might be forced to use a rule allowing the annual conference to call a special conference on whether there should be a leadership election. That would require a majority on a card vote at the annual conference, where the votes are split 50-50 between the trade unions and party members.

If a leadership election were held, it would be decided by an electoral college in which MPs, party members and trade unions each have a third of the votes.

However, Labour insiders believe Mr Blair's fate is unlikely to be sealed by a formal challenge. A more likely vehicle would be the equivalent of the Tories' "men in grey suits." If Mr Blair lost the confidence of a majority of his MPs, they would tell him his time was up.

(MORE)

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan Monday, May 9, 2005
http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/news/news5.htm

SAMARRA COPS TRY TO BREAK REBEL GRIP
By Ned Parker
Agence France-Presse

SAMARRA -- Moose is six-foot three, missing several teeth and deaf. He belongs to the new Iraqi police corps, a ragtag underdog outfit, that is meant to bring law and order to Samarra.

The 432-man force, dressed in an uneven match of dark and light blue uniforms, is expected to take control of the city August 1 when it swells to 1,200 strong. More than half the ranks will consist of outside recruits. US forces are hoping the revamped cops can break the rule of intimidation imposed by insurgents in this Sunni Arab bastion 125 kilometres north of Baghdad.

The men, some of them baby-faced, others middle-aged and grey, admit they lack confidence and fear a repeat of last summer when US forces withdrew from the city and rebels imposed their own rule of law for four months.

Some of them remember that time with dread and don't believe they can control Samarra, without the current presence of two interior ministry commando and one public order battalion stationed around the city.

(SNIP)

The new police believe they are still living in grave danger.

"This city is filled with terrorists. They are waiting for commandos to leave the city so they can come back. They are waiting for their moment."

The US military says Iraqi policemen's families are frequently attacked and threatened in Samarra.

"They don't make a huge deal about it. We hear it after it filters from the police," said Sergeant J. Perkins, a US adviser to the force.

This latest effort to stand up the police in Samarra follows a failed effort in October after US troops retook the city from the insurgency. The Americans have assigned a 26-man team of army and police officers to oversee the effort.

Captain Kenneth Bombace, a deputy sheriff in Long Island in real life, believes this time the on-base advisers will make the difference and provide the backbone to Samarra's police where they previously withered under assault.

"Last time, the army rolled out, the anti Iraqi forces rolled in after them," he says. "If it is possible for the Samarra police to be effective and not corrupt, we have to be here training and meeting with them all the time."

Bombace suspects the police are still penetrated by the insurgency and the US army arrested 27 suspected insurgents on the force last month when men came to pick up their salary.

Glancing at the men in the compound flanked by giant cement blast walls and razor wire, Bombace says in a New York accent: "Once we have tight enough a grip in the city, we've reduced the anti-Iraqi forces (insurgents) enough, the police will have the courage."

(MORE)

3//The Toronto Star, Canada May 8, 2005. 02:20 PM
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer...

AFRICA AN AL QAEDA BREEDING GROUND, CSIS WARNS
Poverty, conflict and corruption playing into terrorists' hands

Jim Bronksill, Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns much of Africa could be fertile soil for Osama bin Laden's terrorist network to cultivate new recruits.

Foreign extremist organizations such as Al Qaeda "have exploited the permissive environment of the continent," CSIS says in the report obtained by The Canadian Press.

Release of the spy service's grim assessment comes as Canada ponders taking on a greater humanitarian role in war-ravaged Sudan.

The newly declassified report notes that, while Muslim communities of sub-Saharan Africa have grown more militant since the advent of multi-party democracy in the mid-1990s, this militancy ``is driven more by domestic politics than Islamic extremism."

CSIS argues, however, that could change.

The conflict and poverty of central and southern Africa, along with the weakness or failure of several states, have increased the receptiveness of some African Muslims "to the message of global jihad and ensured a ready supply of local recruits," the intelligence service says.

"The poor, young, disaffected and undereducated members of these communities have provided terrorist organizations with intelligence and logistical support for their activities."

A copy of the August 2004 report, The Islamist Threat in Sub-Saharan Africa, was recently released under the Access to Information Act. It is marked Secret/Canadian Eyes Only.

A section of the declassified document entitled Implications for Canada was completely blanked out.

(SNIP)

In the heavily censored report, the intelligence service also mentions Sudan, a sanctuary for bin Laden in the early 1990s, as well as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania as possible breeding grounds for violent extremism.

The report says that while West Africa has not yet experienced a terrorist attack against a western target, the region "contains large ungoverned areas," particularly along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert.

In addition, the political instability of most West African states has left them susceptible to the "proselytizing of extremist Islamic clergy" calling for a return to strict enforcement of Muslim law.

However, CSIS stresses that while western countries remain seized with the fallout of the 9/11 attacks, Africa has been subsumed by its own horrible turmoil.

The report notes the terrorist outrages motivating the West are "seen as relatively minor when compared to the depredations perpetrated by domestic terrorist groups operating in sub-Saharan Africa."

Millions of people have died or been driven from their homes in brutal conflicts in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

4//Xinhua Online, China 2005-05-09 06:29:45
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/09/content_2932118.htm

CHINA, TURKMENISTAN TO FURTHER BILATERAL TIES

MOSCOW, May 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Turkmen counterpart Saparmurad Niyazov met here Sunday and both leaders agreed to further expand trade and economic cooperation.

Hu and Niyazov arrived in Moscow Sunday for attending festival events of the 60th anniversary of the victory of Russia's Great Patriotic War on May 9.

President Hu said that China attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations with Turkmenistan, adding that China views Turkmenistan as an important partner in Central Asian region.

Hu said China, as always, supports Turkmenistan's open policy and its neutral policy stance. The Chinese president expressed hope that with joint efforts made by the two countries, bilateral relations will be reaching a much higher stage.

(SNIP)

Niyazov said that Turkmenistan's rich natural resources provide good opportunity for the future cooperation between the two countries.

President Hu said the China is encouraging its enterprises to strengthen cooperation with Turkmenistan's counterparts in exploration of gas and oil reserves in the Central Asian country.

RELATED: DELHI INSISTS ON PIPELINE PLAN

The Dawn, Pakistan May 8, 2005
http://www.dawn.com/2005/05/08/top7.htm

NEW DELHI, May 7: India will not be deterred by US opposition to a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan as it is imperative to meet the country's energy growing needs, the foreign minister said in a report on Saturday. "Our energy needs are going to increase exponentially in the next 20 years and there's no other way but to have this kind of an arrangement," Foreign Minister Natwar Singh said in an interview with The Hindu newspaper.

(SNIP)

Mr Aiyer also said he would visit Islamabad this month to discuss the logistics of the pipeline linking Iran's South Pars gas field to India via southwest Pakistan.

"Our petroleum minister is going to Pakistan very soon. The earlier impression was that India was the stumbling block. We are not," Mr Singh said. The minister said New Delhi would proceed with the project despite Washington's reservations made known by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a visit here in March.

5//The Scotsman, UK Sunday, 8th May 2005
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=496222005

CORPORATE ELITE PREPARES SECRET HQs TO ESCAPE G8 CHAOS IN CAPITAL
Guy Dixon and Katie Foster

Fears of violent protest at this summer's G8 summit have led six of Scotland's biggest companies to draw up detailed evacuation plans.

The blue chip firms - which include HBOS and Abbey - will respond to attacks on their Edinburgh offices by shipping staff to a secret hideaway from where they can carry on their business.

Hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters are expected to descend on Scotland during the three-day summit, and there are fears major businesses could be prime targets for anarchists.

Such is the level of concern, the six companies involved have already tested their evacuation plan. Last month, staff were transferred from their Edinburgh offices to a "recovery centre" in nearby Livingston, West Lothian.

More than 400 workers were involved in the test, relocating to premises owned by US disaster recovery group Sungard, where they were able to continue working.

The test was designed to simulate what would happen if their offices became unusable in the event of a wide-scale power loss or crowd trouble.

Although the summit itself is taking place at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, demonstrators will also descend on Edinburgh, 40 miles away, which is one of Europe's biggest financial centres and home to some of the UK's biggest companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Life.

It is thought Scotland's capital will be the focal point for G8 demonstrators, rather than Gleneagles, because it will be difficult for large numbers of protesters to get close to the summit venue. More than 200,000 people are expected to join the Make Poverty History march in the city on Saturday July 2.

Although the demonstration is expected to be peaceful, police are bracing themselves for riots and hundreds of Scottish officers are undergoing training in crowd control.

Recent G8 summits have attracted large and often violent protests. In June 2003, 50,000 protesters fought battles with riot police in Evian and Geneva, and in 2001, a protester was killed by police and hundreds injured during riots in Genoa.

Big financial institutions in particular are concerned about the potential impact that a disaster could have on their business if rioters or hackers interrupted customer services or internal communications.

(MORE)