September 2, 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 SEPTEMBER 2, 2005

1//The Independent, UK--CLARKE ATTACKS BLAIR OVER IRAQ WAR (The former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke stepped up his challenge for the Conservative leadership today by launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair's role in the Iraq war. Mr Clarke, a consistent critic of the invasion despite his party's officially supportive line on the issue, claimed that the Government's stated reasons for participating in the US-led assault were "bogus". Speaking to members of the Foreign Press Association at Westminster, Mr Clarke warned that the decision to take a leading role in the invasion had made ordinary life more dangerous for the British people. He said: "The disastrous decision to invade Iraq has made Britain a more dangerous place. "The war did not create the danger of Islamic terrorism in this country, which had been growing internationally even before the tragedy of the attacks on 9/11. "However, the decision by the UK Government to become the leading ally of President Bush in the Iraq debacle has made Britain one of the foremost targets for Islamic extremists. … . "I share the late Robin Cook's suspicions that the Bush administration hope to pull out most of their troops in whatever way they can before next year's US mid-term elections. I hope that our cynicism is wrong. Disengagement from Iraq has to be part of a much larger and more sophisticated political programme than we are delivering at the moment.")

2//Gulf News Online, United Arab Emirates--US URGES SANCTION FOR IRAN OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAM (The United States is urging other countries to force Iran before the United Nations Security Council for punitive sanctions over its nuclear program, a US official said on Wednesday. The United States wants the International Atomic Energy Agency to take the first step toward sanctions this month, said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.)

3//The News International, Pakistan--EU LURES IRAN WITH ‘SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS’ (The European Union on Thursday told Iran it would reap substantial benefits in aid and cooperation if it returned to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program instead of facing the threat of UN Security Council sanctions. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Britain, France and Germany deplored the recent collapse of negotiations with Tehran and said UN intervention could well become the only option if Iran does not return to talks. … . Although the UN Security Council has the power to impose sanctions, China opposes bringing the issue before the council and could use its veto power to block a resolution punishing Iran. Britain and France again highlighted the EU was willing to go far in helping Iran prosper if it falls back into line with the IAEA.)

4//Xinhua Online, China--EU-CHINA SUMMIT TO INJECT “IMPETUS” TO BILATERAL TIES (The upcoming EU-China summit would inject "important impetus" to the development of the all-around strategic partnership between the two sides, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said here Wednesday. "I think it will give important impetus to bilateral relations," he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before the eighth EU-China summit scheduled to be held in Beijing on Sept. 5. … . On the lifting of a 16-year-old arms embargo against China, Solana said it is still the EU's "intention" to take away the ban, which China views as a "political barrier" to the smooth expansion of bilateral relations. "It remains the EU's intention to lift the arms embargo as soon as reasonably practical," Solana said. The EU had previously planned to lift the ban in June, but it was unfulfilled due to fierce opposition from the United States. Earlier this year, Solana himself visited the United States to explain to Washington the EU's position on the issue.)

5//The Daily Star, Lebanon-- ‘OIL MAJORS NEED CLOSER TIES WITH STATE-OWNED FIRMS’ (Western oil majors, struggling to find new reserves, should seek closer cooperation with state-owned companies in oil producing countries or embark on acquisitions to replace the crude they pump each year, analysts told an energy conference. "The challenge for super majors to increase their reserve replacement ratio is daunting," said Jeffrey Waterous, nonexecutive chairman of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions consulting firm Scotia Waterous, adding: "They are under enormous pressure from shareholders and investors to find new reserves." … . Most international oil firms are finding it increasingly hard to make oil finds big enough to meet their goals to replace and increase production, putting their long-term health at risk. … . "National oil firms and their governments in the Mideast, Africa and the Caspian region are in the driving seat today, not the super majors," said Waterous.)

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1//The Independent, UK 1 September 2005 17:01
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article309553.ece

CLARKE ATTACKS BLAIR OVER IRAQ WAR
John Deane and Jamie Lyons, PA

The former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke stepped up his challenge for the Conservative leadership today by launching a blistering attack on Prime Minister Tony Blair's role in the Iraq war.

Mr Clarke, a consistent critic of the invasion despite his party's officially supportive line on the issue, claimed that the Government's stated reasons for participating in the US-led assault were "bogus".

Speaking to members of the Foreign Press Association at Westminster, Mr Clarke warned that the decision to take a leading role in the invasion had made ordinary life more dangerous for the British people.

He said: "The disastrous decision to invade Iraq has made Britain a more dangerous place.
" The war did not create the danger of Islamic terrorism in this country, which had been growing internationally even before the tragedy of the attacks on 9/11.

"However, the decision by the UK Government to become the leading ally of President Bush in the Iraq debacle has made Britain one of the foremost targets for Islamic extremists.

"Personally, I would have accepted that increased risk as the price of going to war if I had believed that we were driven to go to war for a just cause and a British national interest that could be pursued in no other way.

"I reject the notion that fear of terrorist reprisals should ever deter a British Government from pursuing an honourable and necessary cause. I had previously supported every war embarked upon by a British Government of whatever party throughout my Parliamentary career.

"This was not such a case. The reasons given to Parliament for joining the invasion were bogus.
" Bush's real purpose, of installing quite quickly a pro-Western democracy in Baghdad with the support of a grateful liberated population, has proved to be a sad illusion.

"The dangers of the invasion providing recruits and impetus to terrorist extremists were clear before the war."

Mr Clarke stressed that he was not advocating an immediate withdrawal of British forces.

He said: "What has been done, has been done. The Prime Minister responsible has made himself accountable to the public in a General Election, which he won. What matters today is what we do now.

"I do not believe, as leftist critics of the war argue, that we should just pull the troops out. It would be immoral to walk away from the consequences of our actions leaving behind anarchy and civil war in Iraq.

"I share the late Robin Cook's suspicions that the Bush administration hope to pull out most of their troops in whatever way they can before next year's US mid-term elections. I hope that our cynicism is wrong. Disengagement from Iraq has to be part of a much larger and more sophisticated political programme than we are delivering at the moment."

(MORE)

2//Gulf News Online, United Arab Emirates Published: 1/9/2005, 00:00 (UAE)
http://www.gulf-news.com/Articles/RegionNF.asp?ArticleID=179799

US URGES SANCTION FOR IRAN OVER NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Agencies-- Washington: The United States is urging other countries to force Iran before the United Nations Security Council for punitive sanctions over its nuclear program, a US official said on Wednesday.

The United States wants the International Atomic Energy Agency to take the first step toward sanctions this month, said Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.

"We fully expect that the governments of the IAEA will exercise their responsibility," Burns said.
Burns said the United States still strongly supports European diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to drop its nuclear program.

However, it threatened that sanctions will follow if Tehran does not reinstate a freeze on nuclear activities that could be part of a covert effort to build a bomb.

(MORE)

3//The News International, Pakistan Friday September 02, 2005-- Rajab 27, 1426 A.H.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2005-d...

EU LURES IRAN WITH ‘SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS’

NEWPORT, Wales: The European Union on Thursday told Iran it would reap substantial benefits in aid and cooperation if it returned to the negotiating table to discuss its nuclear program instead of facing the threat of UN Security Council sanctions. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Britain, France and Germany deplored the recent collapse of negotiations with Tehran and said UN intervention could well become the only option if Iran does not return to talks.

"We are ready to go to New York if necessary, yes,’’ said EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana, referring to the location of the United Nations’ headquarters. The 25-nation EU would give Iran up to the Sept. 19 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to rejoin negotiations on some of its atomic activities that can also be used to make nuclear weapons.

(SNIP)

Although the UN Security Council has the power to impose sanctions, China opposes bringing the issue before the council and could use its veto power to block a resolution punishing Iran. Britain and France again highlighted the EU was willing to go far in helping Iran prosper if it falls back into line with the IAEA.

The EU has offered Iran "the most far-reaching proposals for relations between Iran and the EU" since the Iranian revolution, said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who chaired a meeting of the 25 foreign ministers at the posh Celtic Manor golf resort.

French minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said: "The European offer is substantial, ambitious, generous and should be considered. Do not minimize its impact. It covers the economy, politics, security, and civilian nuclear issues."

He insisted the Europeans were ready to study new Iranian offers. In August, Iran restarted uranium conversion, an early stage on the nuclear fuel cycle that precedes enrichment. Highly enriched uranium can be used to make weapons. At lower levels, it is used in power generation.

4//Xinhua Online, China 2005-09-01 12:59:46
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/01/content_3429516.htm

EU-CHINA SUMMIT TO INJECT “IMPETUS” TO BILATERAL TIES

BRUSSELS, Sept. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The upcoming EU-China summit would inject "important impetus" to the development of the all-around strategic partnership between the two sides, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said here Wednesday.

"I think it will give important impetus to bilateral relations," he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before the eighth EU-China summit scheduled to be held in Beijing on Sept. 5.

"What's most important is to have a good climate at the summit," he said.

Solana also sees 2005 as an important year for the bilateral relationship as it marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

"Therefore, it is important to create a mechanism for people-to-people relationship, so I'm looking forward to the summit," he said.

According to EU officials, among the dignitaries to attend the Beijing summit this year will be British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is holding the EU presidency, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Solana.

The summit will cover a wide range of topics, including political, economic and energy cooperation, a new framework agreement, the Galileo space project and the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER).

On the lifting of a 16-year-old arms embargo against China, Solana said it is still the EU's "intention" to take away the ban, which China views as a "political barrier" to the smooth expansion of bilateral relations.

"It remains the EU's intention to lift the arms embargo as soon as reasonably practical," Solana said.

The EU had previously planned to lift the ban in June, but it was unfulfilled due to fierce opposition from the United States. Earlier this year, Solana himself visited the United States to explain to Washington the EU's position on the issue.

(MORE)

5//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, September 02, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id...

‘OIL MAJORS NEED CLOSER TIES WITH STATE-OWNED FIRMS’

THE HAGUE: Western oil majors, struggling to find new reserves, should seek closer cooperation with state-owned companies in oil producing countries or embark on acquisitions to replace the crude they pump each year, analysts told an energy conference.

"The challenge for super majors to increase their reserve replacement ratio is daunting," said Jeffrey Waterous, nonexecutive chairman of oil and gas mergers and acquisitions consulting firm Scotia Waterous, adding: "They are under enormous pressure from shareholders and investors to find new reserves."

"Seven billion barrels have to be replaced this year. ... But we haven't seen any major new discoveries so far. In the remaining months we may see some acquisitions because the drills are not performing," Waterous told the conference.

Most international oil firms are finding it increasingly hard to make oil finds big enough to meet their goals to replace and increase production, putting their long-term health at risk.

The world's biggest reserves are controlled by Middle Eastern states that restrict access to their reserves and their own national oil companies, threatening the international majors' dominance of the oil industry.

Analysts said international firms had to be more creative in finding ways to gain access to reserves of national companies.

They said some African oil producing countries also hindered acquisition of assets there, while competition was growing from emerging new players in China and India.

"National oil firms and their governments in the Mideast, Africa and the Caspian region are in the driving seat today, not the super majors," said Waterous.

(MORE)

Copyright 2005, Gloria R. Lalumia