July 20, 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 JULY 20, 2005

1//The Daily Star, Lebanon--IRAN PREPARES TO INK OIL DEAL WITH IRAQ (Iran is poised to sign an agreement to swap Iraqi crude for desperately needed refined products, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Monday as Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari wrapped up a landmark visit. To further economic ties with its neighbor, Iran plans to fund three pipelines across Iraq's southern border to help satisfy the country's urgent need for petroleum and refined oil products. Iraq will export crude oil to Iran, and Iran will transport petroleum and other refined products to its neighbor. … "The plan is for Iran to buy 150,000 barrels per day of light crude from Basra (in southern Iraq)," said Zanganeh. There has been talk of requesting that Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar engage in a similar exchanges with Iraq to prepare for the looming oil products shortage expected in Iraq this winter. Experts argue that declining crude oil qualities are the result of overpumping. Analysts believe that poor reservoir management practices during the Saddam Hussein years - including reinjection of excess fuel oil, refinery residue, and gas-stripped oil - may have seriously, or even permanently, damaged the Kirkuk oil fields in the north.)

2//Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates--HEZBOLLAH JOINS LEBANON CABINET FOR THE FIRST TIME (Hezbollah, regarded as a terrorist group by Washington, joined the Lebanese cabinet for the first time on Tuesday as prime minister delegate Fuad Siniora finally unveiled a new government after weeks of wrangling. Siniora's government, which was approved by President Emile Lahoud after three previous draft line-ups had been rejected, is the first since May-June elections gave anti-Syrian groups a majority in parliament for the first time since the civil war. … After failing to form a government of national unity and then a cabinet of technocrats, Siniora said Friday he intended to form a government from a broad spectrum of parties including the pro-Syrian Hezbollah-Amal alliance. Hezbollah, which continues to be involved in sporadic clashes with Israel on the tense border, exclusively patrols the formerly Israeli-occupied south. Its participation in the new government is likely to pose a problem for the international community which is demanding that Hezbollah's militiamen -- regarded in Lebanon as a legitimate resistance to Israel -- give up their weapons.)

3//Turkish Daily News, Turkey--ERDOGAN AIMS TO RAISE TURKISH-RUSSIAN TRADE VOLUME TO $25 BILLION (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have concluded two days of talks in the southern Russian resort of Sochi, where they discussed trade, energy, combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as international and regional political issues. At a press conference after their fourth meeting in seven months, Erdoğan said the two leaders aim to raise the trade volume between the two countries to $25 billion from the current $11 billion. … Putin also set out plans for new gas pipelines through Turkey to supply southern European markets. "We do not exclude the possibility of building a new gas or oil pipeline for exports. We are ready to build large underground gas depots in Turkish territory, ready to develop gas networks in the context of privatization in the country, ready to use gas pipelines under construction in Turkey and to participate in the construction of new ones to carry our energy resources to third countries, including southern Europe," Putin said.)

4//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--US ACCEPTS INDIA AS A NUCLEAR BUDDY (It is one more step towards achieving the next level of India-US relations, as well as the US promise to help cement India as a future global power. In a radical shift in nuclear relations between the two countries, the US has decided to treat India on a par with recognized nuclear-weapon states, extending all "benefits and advantages," including nuclear fuel for civilian nuclear reactors. … These moves come despite India not being a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But Bush said nuclear cooperation could include "expeditious consideration of fuel supplies" to the US-built Tarapur nuclear power plant near Mumbai, which is reportedly low on fuel because of US restrictions on India. Successive US administrations have refused to approve sales of nuclear material to India since it has not signed the NPT, which came into existence in 1968. India feels that the NPT favors nations that already possess weapons, and is biased against non-nuclear-weapon states. However, moving against the conventional wisdom of Western countries, in January last year Bush pledged that the US would be willing to help India with its nuclear energy and space technology in return for Delhi's promise to use the assistance for peaceful purposes and to help block the spread of dangerous weapons. It is a reflection of the way that the Bush regime looks to construct a new nuclear global order.)

5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--ARROYO TO FORM TRUTH BODY (Saying for the first time that she could not simply ignore calls for her to resign, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday bowed to demands for the creation of a truth commission that would probe into claims that she was involved in election fraud. But Ms Arroyo also stood her ground, declaring in a letter to the country's Roman Catholic bishops that her decision to stay in office was the right one. … A CBCP official initially welcomed Ms Arroyo's declaration but one bishop asked if the commission would have the power to question Ms Arroyo herself. "What will be the scope of its authority? What will it be allowed to do?" Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz asked in a phone interview with the Inquirer. "Will it have the power to subpoena people, including the President? Can it secure bank documents?")

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1//The Daily Star, Lebanon Tuesday, July 19, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition...

IRAN PREPARES TO INK OIL DEAL WITH IRAQ
Tehran set to purchase 150,000 bpd from Basra in exchange for refined products

By Nora Salim
Special to The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Iran is poised to sign an agreement to swap Iraqi crude for desperately needed refined products, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Monday as Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari wrapped up a landmark visit. To further economic ties with its neighbor, Iran plans to fund three pipelines across Iraq's southern border to help satisfy the country's urgent need for petroleum and refined oil products.

Iraq will export crude oil to Iran, and Iran will transport petroleum and other refined products to its neighbor.

Iraqi Oil Minister Ibrahim al-Ulum had said on Saturday the deal would be signed Monday. No reason was given for the delay.

Iraq contains 115 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the third largest in the world, and is estimated to contain at least 110 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The country, however, has recently suffered severe deficiencies in its petrochemicals industry due in large part to its security crisis.

Oil will begin flowing ten months after the two countries sign the deal, which is expected within the month.

"The plan is for Iran to buy 150,000 barrels per day of light crude from Basra (in southern Iraq)," said Zanganeh. There has been talk of requesting that Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar engage in a similar exchanges with Iraq to prepare for the looming oil products shortage expected in Iraq this winter.

Experts argue that declining crude oil qualities are the result of overpumping. Analysts believe that poor reservoir management practices during the Saddam Hussein years - including reinjection of excess fuel oil, refinery residue, and gas-stripped oil - may have seriously, or even permanently, damaged the Kirkuk oil fields in the north.

Jaafari's visit to Iran to discuss the project was the first by an Iraqi head of state since the ousting of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The meeting heavily stressed the intensifying economic and security cooperation between the two countries. Iran recently hailed Iraq as its "brother," taking a further step toward diplomatic recovery following the Iran-Iraq war that left hundreds of thousands dead in the 1980s. "We consider Iraq as our brother," Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref stated. "In a short time, we cannot only recover from decades of frosty relations but can also draw on what we have in common to become a model of firm ties in the region," he added.

(MORE)

2//Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates 19 July 2005
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middle...

HEZBOLLAH JOINS LEBANON CABINET FOR THE FIRST TIME
(AFP)

BEIRUT - Hezbollah, regarded as a terrorist group by Washington, joined the Lebanese cabinet for the first time on Tuesday as prime minister delegate Fuad Siniora finally unveiled a new government after weeks of wrangling. Siniora's government, which was approved by President Emile Lahoud after three previous draft line-ups had been rejected, is the first since May-June elections gave anti-Syrian groups a majority in parliament for the first time since the civil war.

"We have reached agreement on a 24-member government," Siniora had told reporters earlier after holding mandatory consultations on the cabinet with the under-fire pro-Syrian head of state.

It was the first elected government since the last Syrian troop left Lebanese soil under intense domestic and international pressure in April, ending a three-decade military presence.

Siniora has pledged to try to rebuild national unity shaken by the killing in February of his close ally, former billionaire prime minister Rafiq Hariri, and embark on sweeping reforms to revive the debt-laden economy.

In the weeks since his nomination last month, Siniora had been scrambling to form a new government in the face of mounting tensions with Damascus, which has dominated Lebanon politically since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.

Washington and Paris, the sponsors of UN Resolution 1559 calling for Syria's withdrawal and Hezbollah's disarmament, voiced concern over the delay in setting up a new government.

After failing to form a government of national unity and then a cabinet of technocrats, Siniora said Friday he intended to form a government from a broad spectrum of parties including the pro-Syrian Hezbollah-Amal alliance.

Hezbollah, which continues to be involved in sporadic clashes with Israel on the tense border, exclusively patrols the formerly Israeli-occupied south.

Its participation in the new government is likely to pose a problem for the international community which is demanding that Hezbollah's militiamen -- regarded in Lebanon as a legitimate resistance to Israel -- give up their weapons.

(MORE)

3//Turkish Daily News, Turkey Tuesday, July 19, 2005
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=18616

ERDOGAN AIMS TO RAISE TURKISH-RUSSIAN TRADE VOLUME TO $25 BILLION
Turkish and Russian leaders also discuss energy, combating terrorism and organized crime

ISTANBUL – TDN with wire services--Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have concluded two days of talks in the southern Russian resort of Sochi, where they discussed trade, energy, combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as international and regional political issues.

At a press conference after their fourth meeting in seven months, Erdoğan said the two leaders aim to raise the trade volume between the two countries to $25 billion from the current $11 billion.

Putin said Turkish companies have around $1.5 billion of investments in Russia and Russian firms were willing to invest in Turkey. "The creation of an appropriate investment environment would further deepen our relations," Putin said.

(SNIP)

New pipeline to European markets

Putin also set out plans for new gas pipelines through Turkey to supply southern European markets.

"We do not exclude the possibility of building a new gas or oil pipeline for exports. We are ready to build large underground gas depots in Turkish territory, ready to develop gas networks in the context of privatization in the country, ready to use gas pipelines under construction in Turkey and to participate in the construction of new ones to carry our energy resources to third countries, including southern Europe," Putin said.

The Russian president also raised the possibility of electric power exports to Turkey and Iraq.

(MORE)

4//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong Jul 20, 2005
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GG20Df03.html

US ACCEPTS INDIA AS A NUCLEAR BUDDY
By Siddharth Srivastava

NEW DELHI - It is one more step towards achieving the next level of India-US relations, as well as the US promise to help cement India as a future global power.

In a radical shift in nuclear relations between the two countries, the US has decided to treat India on a par with recognized nuclear-weapon states, extending all "benefits and advantages," including nuclear fuel for civilian nuclear reactors.

These significant decisions are contained in a joint statement issued after a summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush in the White House on Monday.

India, in turn, has promised to be a responsible nuclear state, including placing its civilian nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, continuing its unilateral moratorium on nuclear tests and adherence, among other things, to the Missile Technology Control Regime and Nuclear Suppliers' Group guidelines.

These moves come despite India not being a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But Bush said nuclear cooperation could include "expeditious consideration of fuel supplies" to the US-built Tarapur nuclear power plant near Mumbai, which is reportedly low on fuel because of US restrictions on India.

Successive US administrations have refused to approve sales of nuclear material to India since it has not signed the NPT, which came into existence in 1968. India feels that the NPT favors nations that already possess weapons, and is biased against non-nuclear-weapon states.

However, moving against the conventional wisdom of Western countries, in January last year Bush pledged that the US would be willing to help India with its nuclear energy and space technology in return for Delhi's promise to use the assistance for peaceful purposes and to help block the spread of dangerous weapons. It is a reflection of the way that the Bush regime looks to construct a new nuclear global order. The existing US-led global nuclear regime is struggling to deal with the fact that North Korea has declared that it possesses nuclear weapons, while Iran, according to the US, is intent on moving in the same direction. The new paradigm pursued by Bush defines clusters of nations on the basis of a "trust factor." This would take into consideration the record of a country in peddling nuclear technology, as well as indigenous paradigms which make the existence of such technology safe/dangerous in a particular country. India feels there is no reason why it cannot be trusted, despite staying out of the NPT.

Of course, more factors are at play in the singling out of India as the first country to be acknowledged as a nuclear-weapon state by the US despite it staying out of the NPT.

(MORE)

5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines First posted 00:17am (Mla time) July 20, 2005
http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=44134

ARROYO TO FORM TRUTH BODY
Admits she can't ignore quit calls

By Christian Spillmann, Christine Avendano
Inquirer News Service

Saying for the first time that she could not simply ignore calls for her to resign, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday bowed to demands for the creation of a truth commission that would probe into claims that she was involved in election fraud.

But Ms Arroyo also stood her ground, declaring in a letter to the country's Roman Catholic bishops that her decision to stay in office was the right one.

She did not say who would comprise the commission but Malacañang indicated some of its members would be known before the President's State of the Nation Address before Congress on July 25.

Ms Arroyo spelled out her position in a letter dated July 18 to Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

A CBCP official initially welcomed Ms Arroyo's declaration but one bishop asked if the commission would have the power to question Ms Arroyo herself.

"What will be the scope of its authority? What will it be allowed to do?" Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz asked in a phone interview with the Inquirer. "Will it have the power to subpoena people, including the President? Can it secure bank documents?"

The CBCP last week suggested that the formation of a truth commission could be one way out of the political crisis battering the country. It also asked Ms Arroyo not to "simply dismiss" calls for her to step down.

(MORE)