May 5, 2006

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 5, 2006

1//The Toronto Star, Canada—EDITORIAL: WHY NOT STRIKE BARGAIN WITH IRAN? (The world is only marginally less polarized on Iran than it was on Iraq three years ago. But the big difference this time is that George W. Bush is doing his bullying more skilfully. … What is Iran's game? More than making a bomb, it wants to have the latent capability to. It wants security guarantees against a U.S.-engineered "regime change." It feels vulnerable surrounded by nearly 160,000 American troops and bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, plus the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf. Europeans sympathetic to that view, including Germany and France, wonder: Why not talk to Iran and strike a bargain? Why not allow a small civilian nuclear enrichment facility, keeping it under constant surveillance by international inspectors? Or, better still, enrich Iranian uranium in Russia? Why not normalize relations in return for Iran's help in Iraq and the ending of its support for Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel? After all, the clerical regime in Tehran has shown itself to be pragmatic, giving its consent for the American toppling of the Taliban as well as Saddam Hussein. The Iranians themselves constantly remind the world that Iran has never attacked anyone in 250 years. But Bush won't budge. Iran is the only card he holds in his fading presidency.)

2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--IT’S SHOWDOWN TIME IN PAKISTAN (Across the jihadi world, there is a strong conviction that by the end of this year Taliban leader Mullah Omar will be back in power in Afghanistan, from where he was driven by US-led forces in 2001. Realistically, eight months is likely to be too ambitious a time frame for a Taliban victory, if victory is achievable at all. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the Taliban movement is poised to enhance its nuisance level significantly in the United States' strategic back yards in the region - notably Afghanistan and Pakistan. Acutely aware of this, the US is leaning heavily on Pakistan, its key ally in the "war on terror" in the region, to go on the offensive against the strong Taliban foothold in the North and South Waziristan tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. What the US is asking for, in effect, is a Tora Bora-style aerial bombing of the area, similar to that undertaken in the mountains of that name in Afghanistan during the rout of the Taliban five years ago. [Incidentally, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escaped from Tora Bora long before the bombs began to fall.])

3//The Daily Times, Pakistan--IS ABIZAID’S VISIT ROUTINE? (Pakistan and the US agreed on Thursday to enhance intelligence sharing for combating terrorist activities and promote military ties. The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between US Central Command chief Gen John Abizaid and President Musharraf on Thursday. … Major General Shaukat Sultan, the ISPR chief, said Gen Abizaid was on a routine visit. An official statement said, “They discussed the geo-strategic environment, the regional situation and matters of mutual interest during the meeting.” The visit coincided with joint exercises involving special forces of the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan at Cherath. The US commander also visited the army’s general headquarters and met Vice Chief of Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hyat, the statement said.)

4//The Moscow Times, Russia--CASPIAN GREAT GAME BACK ON (The U.S. government appears to be stepping up its drive to secure energy supplies from Central Asia in a bid to counter Gazprom's growing clout and thwart a mounting challenge from China, as analysts signal the start of a tense new Great Game. … The new push comes as consumer nations grow increasingly nervous about future supplies, with energy prices soaring to all-time highs, and concerns mount about dependence on Gazprom. The gas giant has locked in a monopoly hold on gas supplies out of Central Asia and Russia, while it supplies Europe with 25 percent of its gas needs. … "You can say all you want about how we will not take part in these great games, but Russia and China are taking part in them and there is a risk that the United States is losing out," Baran said by telephone from Vilnius, where she was taking part in the Cheney trip. Gazprom has been signing off on a string of major new supply agreements with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. While President Vladimir Putin last week threatened to send more Russian energy east, China has been stepping up its activities in Central Asia as it seeks to secure supplies from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.)

5//The Daily Star, Lebanon--U.S. PANEL URGES ‘AGGRESSIVE ACTION’ AGAINST RIYADH (A U.S. Congress-mandated commission urged the American government to take "aggressive action" against Saudi Arabia for alleged religious freedom violations and warned that religious rights were under threat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to keep Saudi Arabia, as well as China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan and Vietnam, on the annual government blacklist of "severe religious freedom violators." In addition, the commission proposed that Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan be included on the blacklist. Those designated as "countries of particular concern" in the State Department's annual international religious freedom report could face sanctions.)

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1//The Toronto Star, Canada May 4, 2006. 01:00 AM

EDITORIAL: WHY NOT STRIKE BARGAIN WITH IRAN?
Haroon Siddiqui, the Star's editorial page editor emeritus

The world is only marginally less polarized on Iran than it was on Iraq three years ago. But the big difference this time is that George W. Bush is doing his bullying more skilfully.

(SNIP)

The rest of the world, which does not count for much in this geo-political standoff, is appalled at Washington's double standards:

• Preaching nuclear non-proliferation while planning to upgrade its own nuclear strike force.
• Dictating new rules while sabotaging the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Winking at the Israeli, Indian and Pakistani nuclear arsenals while going after Iran, which is said to be nowhere near developing a bomb.
• Saying, with a straight face, that the Security Council's "credibility" would suffer if it does not act against Iran, while ignoring longstanding council resolutions calling for the Israeli withdrawal from the Occupied Territories.
• Negotiating with North Korea while refusing to talk to Iran.

There is, however, a method to this madness.

Having seen North Korea go nuclear on his watch, Bush is determined to avoid a repeat in Iran, especially because Tehran is so ardently anti-Israel.

As Nicholas Burns, the State Department point man on the nuclear file, put it: "The difference in the two situations is that in Iran you have a state situated in the most volatile area of the world, where they are the leading central backer of terrorist actions."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's odious anti-Semitism has augmented the American case, which is this:

Iran has a legal right to enrich uranium but it can no longer be trusted to.

Therefore, "the Iranians should not have a nuclear weapon, the capacity to make a nuclear weapon, or the knowledge as to how to make a nuclear weapon," according to Bush.

(SNIP)

But the American mantra is that it will pursue a diplomatic solution. However, that "diplomacy has to be hard-edged," according to Burns.

That means isolating Iran and — contrary to the friendly counsel of Germany and others — not even talking to Tehran, until it capitulates.

If it doesn't, the U.S. will continue to build a Security Council case under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter that would allow diplomatic and economic sanctions and, if need be, war.

At the very least, it would provide a fig leaf to a bombing campaign against Iran, perhaps at some politically opportune moment in the Bush presidency.

(SNIP)

What is Iran's game?

More than making a bomb, it wants to have the latent capability to.

It wants security guarantees against a U.S.-engineered "regime change." It feels vulnerable surrounded by nearly 160,000 American troops and bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asia, plus the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf.

Europeans sympathetic to that view, including Germany and France, wonder: Why not talk to Iran and strike a bargain?

Why not allow a small civilian nuclear enrichment facility, keeping it under constant surveillance by international inspectors? Or, better still, enrich Iranian uranium in Russia?

Why not normalize relations in return for Iran's help in Iraq and the ending of its support for Hamas and Hezbollah against Israel?

After all, the clerical regime in Tehran has shown itself to be pragmatic, giving its consent for the American toppling of the Taliban as well as Saddam Hussein.

The Iranians themselves constantly remind the world that Iran has never attacked anyone in 250 years.

But Bush won't budge. Iran is the only card he holds in his fading presidency.

2//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong May 5, 2006

IT’S SHOWDOWN TIME IN PAKISTAN
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - Across the jihadi world, there is a strong conviction that by the end of this year Taliban leader Mullah Omar will be back in power in Afghanistan, from where he was driven by US-led forces in 2001.

Realistically, eight months is likely to be too ambitious a time frame for a Taliban victory, if victory is achievable at all.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the Taliban movement is poised to enhance its nuisance level significantly in the United States' strategic back yards in the region - notably Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Acutely aware of this, the US is leaning heavily on Pakistan, its key ally in the "war on terror" in the region, to go on the offensive against the strong Taliban foothold in the North and South Waziristan tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

What the US is asking for, in effect, is a Tora Bora-style aerial bombing of the area, similar to that undertaken in the mountains of that name in Afghanistan during the rout of the Taliban five years ago. (Incidentally, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escaped from Tora Bora long before the bombs began to fall.)

The Taliban are integrated into the local population and there would be high civilian casualties. This is considered acceptable as civilians would be deemed Taliban sympathizers.

According to highly placed officials who spoke to Asia Times Online, the Pakistani military has already drawn up a blueprint for such an attack, which could be implemented in the near future.

In response, the Taliban, along with al-Qaeda, have a counter-plan in which they will go on the offensive, and an extensive network is primed to launch attacks on the Pakistani establishment.

This is the first time since the fall of the Taliban that the al-Qaeda leadership has activated Pakistani jihadis all over the country for operations both inside and outside the country.

(MORE)

3//The Daily Times, Pakistan Friday, May 05, 2006

IS ABIZAID’S VISIT ROUTINE?

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the US agreed on Thursday to enhance intelligence sharing for combating terrorist activities and promote military ties.

The decision to this effect was taken during a meeting between US Central Command chief Gen John Abizaid and President Musharraf on Thursday.

Military sources told Online that the two sides agreed on enhancing sharing of military intelligence to make the war on terror more effective.

Major General Shaukat Sultan, the ISPR chief, said Gen Abizaid was on a routine visit. An official statement said, “They discussed the geo-strategic environment, the regional situation and matters of mutual interest during the meeting.” The visit coincided with joint exercises involving special forces of the United States, Pakistan and Afghanistan at Cherath. The US commander also visited the army’s general headquarters and met Vice Chief of Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hyat, the statement said.

Separately, State Department counter-terrorism official Henry A Crumpton held talks at the Interior Ministry to discuss ways to strengthen Pakistani forces along the border with Afghanistan.

(MORE)

4//The Moscow Times, Russia Friday, May 5, 2006. Issue 3406. Page 1.

CASPIAN GREAT GAME BACK ON
By Catherine Belton, Staff Writer

The U.S. government appears to be stepping up its drive to secure energy supplies from Central Asia in a bid to counter Gazprom's growing clout and thwart a mounting challenge from China, as analysts signal the start of a tense new Great Game.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to push in Kazakhstan on Friday for a major new gas pipeline from the country to bypass Russia and take Kazakh gas westward through Azerbaijan and on to Turkey. Kazakhstan on Thursday gave an early signal it was interested in the project following talks between Kazakh officials and EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

The new push comes as consumer nations grow increasingly nervous about future supplies, with energy prices soaring to all-time highs, and concerns mount about dependence on Gazprom. The gas giant has locked in a monopoly hold on gas supplies out of Central Asia and Russia, while it supplies Europe with 25 percent of its gas needs.

In a sign of the growing pressure, Cheney lashed out at Russia in a speech in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on Thursday for using its energy resources as "tools of intimidation or blackmail." In the strongest statement yet by a senior U.S. official, he said Russia was throwing its weight around "either by supply manipulation or attempts to monopolize transportation."

Washington's latest attempt to secure additional Caspian energy supplies comes after several years of wavering U.S. policy in the region due to concerns over increasing authoritarianism there. The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush offered an olive branch to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev just last week, granting him his first visit to the White House since he succeeded his father as president in October 2003. Energy cooperation was one of the main issues on the agenda, as was democracy reform, a U.S. State Department official said.

"Cheney ... has decided that this is getting ridiculous," said Zeyno Baran, director of the Eurasian Policy Center at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, referring to the U.S. administration's previous balking over democracy concerns at high-level meetings with regional leaders . "Soon there won't be any more democracies in the region to participate with."

"You can say all you want about how we will not take part in these great games, but Russia and China are taking part in them and there is a risk that the United States is losing out," Baran said by telephone from Vilnius, where she was taking part in the Cheney trip.

Gazprom has been signing off on a string of major new supply agreements with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. While President Vladimir Putin last week threatened to send more Russian energy east, China has been stepping up its activities in Central Asia as it seeks to secure supplies from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

(SNIP)

Gazprom's increasing wealth at a time of sky-high energy prices is also sparking new worries, said Matt Sagers, director for energy economics at Cambridge Energy Research Associates.

"Nothing in terms of strategy is different. What is different ... is that Gazprom now has muscle."
The Caspian is becoming a focal point in the search for new supplies because of its vast energy reserves and the fact that Caspian nations may be easier to reach than those in regions such as war-torn North Africa, Weafer said.

A State Department official said Thursday that the U.S. foray into Central Asia was more of an attempt to ensure diversity of supplies than a direct response to Gazprom's increasing clout.

(MORE)

5//The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, May 05, 2006

U.S. PANEL URGES ‘AGGRESSIVE ACTION’ AGAINST RIYADH
By P. Parameswaran, Agence France Presse (AFP)

WASHINGTON: A U.S. Congress-mandated commission urged the American government to take "aggressive action" against Saudi Arabia for alleged religious freedom violations and warned that religious rights were under threat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom also urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to keep Saudi Arabia, as well as China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan and Vietnam, on the annual government blacklist of "severe religious freedom violators." In addition, the commission proposed that Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan be included on the blacklist.

Those designated as "countries of particular concern" in the State Department's annual international religious freedom report could face sanctions.

Afghanistan, where the former Taliban regime was designated as a particularly severe violator, has been added to the commission's "watch list" this year, joining Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria.

Commission chairman Michael Cromartie said religious freedom conditions in Saudi Arabia had not substantially improved since it was blacklisted two years ago.

Freedom of religion "does not exist" in the oil-rich kingdom, he said.

The U.S. government "must not hesitate in taking aggressive action" against the country, he said, suggesting travel restrictions on Saudi officials as well as export curbs on items that could be used to perpetrate rights violations.

(MORE)