September 23, 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 23, 2005

1//Turkish Daily News, Turkey--US SAYS FIGHT AGAINST PKK MATTER OF TIME (The United States has given strong assurances to Turkey over its readiness to oust the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from bases in Iraq. U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül at a meeting late Wednesday in New York that the question of intervention in the PKK's presence in northern Iraq was a matter of “time” rather than a matter of “principle,” the Anatolia news agency said. Turkey has long been pressing Washington and Iraqi authorities to crack down on the PKK in northern Iraq as the Turkish calls have acquired a sense of urgency, particularly after the group called off a unilateral cease-fire last year and resumed attacks on Turkish soil. … Citing sources close to the meeting, Anatolia said U.S. preparations for action against the PKK were more coordinated now as compared to the past and that the United States looked more prepared to take concrete steps against the group.)

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon--NASRALLAH: ‘OPEN WAR’ AGAINST U.S. MANDATE (The frequent intense and fierce speeches targeting local, regional and international forces by various Hizbullah leaders during the last few days have puzzled observers and politicians alike; to some, the speeches seem the result of overconfidence and to others the result of fear. Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced he would wage an "open war" to end the U.S. mandate over Lebanon, calling on the "Lebanese people to revolt against the new foreign mandate and hegemony." Nasrallah said: "The foreign ambassadors tire themselves advising us not to accept any Arab or Syrian intervention in our affairs advocating a free and independent state while they go poking their noses in every detail of our political and economic affairs; they even tell us whom they want for president." The fear of targeting the resistance movement is based on Hizbullah's suspicions that Premier Fouad Siniora was "probably forced to promise his international hosts in the U.S. to work for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1614." … The party's deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem also warned the Americans want to make Lebanon an example of its domination in the region.)

3//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--USFK FIGHTING STRENGTH DWINDLES 23 PERCENT (The fighting strength of the U.S. Forces Korea has dwindled by 23 percent since 1998, a lawmaker said Thursday. Thus it slashed the number of F-16s, the primary fighter jets deployed in Korea, from 76 to 60, contrary to popular understanding that reductions focused on ground forces. Song Young-sun, a member of the National Assembly's Defense Committee, submitted materials that indicate USFK manpower has decreased 8.1 percent, ground forces 18 percent, air power 42.7 percent and ammunition 23.5 percent, over the last seven years, leading to an overall reduction of 23.1 percent. Song's analysis based on full-strength USFK manpower and equipment data suggests forces strength has fallen from 37,000 to 34,000. … “USFK reductions could cast doubt on the U.S. will to carry out its security commitment to Korea and diminish its deterrent capacity on the peninsula,” Song said.)

4//RIA Novosti, Russian News & Information Agency, Russia--LUKoil OPENS OFFICE IN CHINA (LUKoil held a ceremony Thursday to mark the opening of its Beijing office. Valery Golovushkin, company vice president, said, "LUKoil is ready to deliver to China as much oil as infrastructure allows." … "A pipeline from Kazakhstan to China with a total annual output of 20 million metric tons will become operational by the end of this year," Golovushkin added. The pipeline will enable direct oil deliveries to China from West Siberia, and LUKoil is ready to supply oil according to its quota.)

5//The Independent, UK--WORLD BANK TO BEAT THE CHEATS WITH CORRUPTION CRACKDOWN (Banks that harbour money pilfered by developing country dictators will be forced to return the cash under a crackdown on corruption unveiled yesterday. The World Bank said it would ratchet up pressure on governments to pull down banking secrecy laws that allow financiers to retain cash stolen from poor countries. Paul Wolfowitz, the bank's president, said recovering stolen money would form a central plank of the fight against corruption he has made as a mainstay of his five-year term. … Mr Wolfowitz said the bank was working on a specific plan but declined to give details. His advisers said it would focus on the Financial Action Task Force, a global body, tasked with cracking down on money laundering. One said: "The Abacha case represents a breakthrough. We hope the contribution by Switzerland can be repeated in future efforts - certainly the World Bank will play a major part.")

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1//Turkish Daily News, Turkey Thursday, September 22, 2005
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=23979

US SAYS FIGHT AGAINST PKK MATTER OF TIME

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News -- The United States has given strong assurances to Turkey over its readiness to oust the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from bases in Iraq.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül at a meeting late Wednesday in New York that the question of intervention in the PKK's presence in northern Iraq was a matter of “time” rather than a matter of “principle,” the Anatolia news agency said.

Turkey has long been pressing Washington and Iraqi authorities to crack down on the PKK in northern Iraq as the Turkish calls have acquired a sense of urgency, particularly after the group called off a unilateral cease-fire last year and resumed attacks on Turkish soil.

Rice told Gül in a closed-door meeting that Washington's position vis-à-vis the PKK presence in Iraq was parallel to that of Ankara and reiterated U.S. determination to take action against the group, designated by both Turkey and the United States as a terrorist organization.

Citing sources close to the meeting, Anatolia said U.S. preparations for action against the PKK were more coordinated now as compared to the past and that the United States looked more prepared to take concrete steps against the group.

U.S. and Turkish authorities agreed last week in closed-door talks to form a working group that would regularly meet to discuss measures to cut financial sources of the PKK, and the two countries will also try to include European countries where the PKK gets most of its financial backing, private NTV said yesterday.

Officials were not immediately available to confirm the report.

Disagreements over Iraq have been a key factor, particularly U.S. slowness to eliminate PKK camps in northern Iraq, souring ties between Turkey and the United States in the past few years.

(MORE)

2//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, September 23, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition...

NASRALLAH: ‘OPEN WAR’ AGAINST U.S. MANDATE
By Adnan El-Ghoul, Daily Star staff

The frequent intense and fierce speeches targeting local, regional and international forces by various Hizbullah leaders during the last few days have puzzled observers and politicians alike; to some, the speeches seem the result of overconfidence and to others the result of fear.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced he would wage an "open war" to end the U.S. mandate over Lebanon, calling on the "Lebanese people to revolt against the new foreign mandate and hegemony."

Nasrallah said: "The foreign ambassadors tire themselves advising us not to accept any Arab or Syrian intervention in our affairs advocating a free and independent state while they go poking their noses in every detail of our political and economic affairs; they even tell us whom they want for president."

The fear of targeting the resistance movement is based on Hizbullah's suspicions that Premier Fouad Siniora was "probably forced to promise his international hosts in the U.S. to work for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1614."

The head of Hizbullah's Executive Council, Sayyed Hashem Saffieddine said: "Many Lebanese officials are helping the Americans in killing not only the resistance movement physically but also the idea and spirit of the resistance."

The party's deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem also warned the Americans want to make Lebanon an example of its domination in the region.

He said: "The Americans want to use Lebanon as an experimental field to exert its hegemony over the entire region."

The party's confidence is reflected in its potential ability to topple the government by mobilizing the needed political pressure to do so.

Within the framework of the leadership's weekly meeting, Speaker Nabih Berri and Nasrallah issued a statement asserting: "Our support for Siniora's government and its policy statement does not mean overlooking the needed discussion on how to implement its policies; no party could take crucial decisions without a prior agreement among all the concerned parties."

Despite withdrawing it from circulation, the statement made by Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party was a clear indication the majority could shift to the other group overnight.

(MORE)

3//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea Updated Sep.22,2005 19:18 KST
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/...

USFK FIGHTING STRENGTH DWINDLES 23 PERCENT

The fighting strength of the U.S. Forces Korea has dwindled by 23 percent since 1998, a lawmaker said Thursday. Thus it slashed the number of F-16s, the primary fighter jets deployed in Korea, from 76 to 60, contrary to popular understanding that reductions focused on ground forces.

Song Young-sun, a member of the National Assembly's Defense Committee, submitted materials that indicate USFK manpower has decreased 8.1 percent, ground forces 18 percent, air power 42.7 percent and ammunition 23.5 percent, over the last seven years, leading to an overall reduction of 23.1 percent. Song's analysis based on full-strength USFK manpower and equipment data suggests forces strength has fallen from 37,000 to 34,000.

(SNIP)

Ground equipment also shrank, with the number of M-1 tanks decreasing from 140 to 120, and the number of M-2 and M-3 infantry fighting vehicles from 180 to 100. Stinger missile teams have been reduced from 36 to 25. This is the first time specifics of the reductions have been made public.

But the number of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems has increased from 50 to 60, and the number of A-10 ground attack planes from 20 to 25. “USFK reductions could cast doubt on the U.S. will to carry out its security commitment to Korea and diminish its deterrent capacity on the peninsula,” Song said.

4//RIA Novosti, Russian News & Information Agency, Russia 22/09/2005 20:41
http://en.rian.ru/business/20050922/41479567.html

LUKoil OPENS OFFICE IN CHINA
BEIJING, September 22 (RIA Novosti, Aleksei Efimov) - LUKoil held a ceremony Thursday to mark the opening of its Beijing office.

Valery Golovushkin, company vice president, said, "LUKoil is ready to deliver to China as much oil as infrastructure allows."

He added that the opening of the office in China would enable the company to obtain detailed information on projects that LUKoil hoped to take part in.

He said the company firstly intended to increase oil deliveries to China via pipelines.

"A pipeline from Kazakhstan to China with a total annual output of 20 million metric tons will become operational by the end of this year," Golovushkin added.

The pipeline will enable direct oil deliveries to China from West Siberia, and LUKoil is ready to supply oil according to its quota.

(MORE)

5//The Independent, UK Published: 23 September 2005
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article314531.ece

WORLD BANK TO BEAT THE CHEATS WITH CORRUPTION CRACKDOWN
By Philip Thornton, Economics Correspondent in Washington

Banks that harbour money pilfered by developing country dictators will be forced to return the cash under a crackdown on corruption unveiled yesterday.

The World Bank said it would ratchet up pressure on governments to pull down banking secrecy laws that allow financiers to retain cash stolen from poor countries. Paul Wolfowitz, the bank's president, said recovering stolen money would form a central plank of the fight against corruption he has made as a mainstay of his five-year term.

Speaking at the outset of the lender's annual meetings in Washington, he said: "This is hard but it has to be done. It is a way to ensure that developed countries help developing countries." He hailed a decision by Switzerland to engineer the return of almost $500m (£279m) of money to Nigeria stolen by the former dictator Sani Abacha.

"This is an example of what can be done," he said. "There are lots of cases where there are claims on assets that have been taken and it should be possible to simplify these claims."

The World Bank played a key role in brokering a deal between the two countries by ensuring the money would be pumped into health, education and infrastructure. The move is likely to rattle the heads of major global banking institutions that have branches in countries known for their banking secrecy.

Mr Wolfowitz said the bank was working on a specific plan but declined to give details. His advisers said it would focus on the Financial Action Task Force, a global body, tasked with cracking down on money laundering. One said: "The Abacha case represents a breakthrough. We hope the contribution by Switzerland can be repeated in future efforts - certainly the World Bank will play a major part."

(SNIP)

Meanwhile, Mr Wolfowitz played down hopes that a deal brokered by the Chancellor at the G8 summit in Gleneagles to wipe out $40bn of debt owed by 18 of the poorest countries would be approved this weekend.