June 16, 2006

World Media Watch

Edited 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 JUNE 16, 2006

1/The Daily Star, Lebanon--IRAN AND SYRIA SIGN PACT AGAINST ‘COMMON THREATS’ (Defense ministers from close allies Iran and Syria on Thursday signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States. In a joint news conference, Iranian Defense Minister Mustafa Mohammad Najjar and visiting Syrian counterpart Hassan Turkmani said their talks h Najjar added that the Syrian side has purchased some Iranian military equipment, but did not elaborate on the purchased items and did not say whether the purchases were made as part of Thursday's agreement. Turkmani started an official visit to Tehran on Sunday. They also announced the formation of a joint Supreme Defense Commission, but did not give details on its mission.)

2/The Globe and Mail, Canada--NUCLEAR PLAN SKIPS KEY GREEN REVIEW (The Ontario government has exempted itself from a law requiring a full environmental assessment for its plan to spend up to $83-billion on nuclear plants and fixing the province's aging electricity system. The action, which wasn't announced this week when Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said the government intends to proceed with the Ontario Power Authority's 20-year electricity supply plan, is a sign the provincial Liberals are playing hardball with their environmental opponents by fast-tracking approvals. It means that one of the biggest energy expansions undertaken in Canada will occur without in-depth scrutiny because there will be no independent review by outside experts of the government's overall electricity program. Such a review would have added years to the approval process for new nuclear reactors, and allowed environmentalists and others to try to persuade the review panel that the government's plans should be modified or rejected, or that there are other, less costly ways to meet the province's power needs.)

3/The Korea Herald, South Korea--SEOUL RELAYS MISSILE CONCERNS TO NORTH (The Seoul government told Pyongyang it was "gravely worried" over the communist state's move to test a long-range missile, sources said yesterday. News reports from Japan said there were signs since early May that North Korea was preparing to test a multiple-stage Taepodong 2 missile. The intercontinental ballistic missile could reach as far as the United States. The South Korean government reportedly sent the warning message through an unspecified channel last month upon seizing inside information of the missile test plan, the sources said. Seoul officials view the missile test by the reclusive state to be a highly dangerous gamble at a time of elevated tension between Pyongyang and Washington and the suspended nuclear negotiations. The South Korean government was also likely to relay the same concern to the visiting North Korean delegation currently in Gwangju attending the joint celebration marking the sixth anniversary of the inter-Korean summit in 2000.)

4/The Moscow Times, Russia--SLANDER COULD BE DEEMED EXTREMIST (The State Duma will soon vote on a bill that would allow courts to shut down parties and news organizations for slandering government officials or threatening possible mass protests, deputies said Thursday.

The Duma's leadership decided Thursday to send the bill -- which includes amendments to expand the list of punishable crimes under the anti-extremism law -- to the president and the Cabinet for a review, Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said. It is expected to come up for a first reading by the end of this month. Opposition politicians called the amendments an effort by a worried government to ensure the ruling class remained in power after upcoming national elections. But Gryzlov said the bill -- introduced by 14 deputies representing all the factions in the Duma -- would not punish those critical of the authorities.)

5/The Scotsman, UK--FALL OF THE WARLORDS’ LAST STRONGHOLD (Islamic militias in Somalia yesterday seized the town of Jowhar, the last stronghold of a United States-backed alliance of secular warlords who were driven from the capital, Mogadishu, last week. The town's capture, after most of the warlords had fled, gives the militias control of nearly the whole of southern Somalia and raises the question of whether they will help the weak interim government or impose Islamic rule. … . Yesterday's assault appeared to be an attempt to deliver a final blow to the much-weakened warlords, whose fortunes as feudal rulers of patches of Somalia for the past 15 years have taken a sharp turn for the worse. The Islamic Courts Union and its allies now control all of southern Somalia, except Baidoa, the town where the weak transitional government sits. The north-east is run by an autonomous government allied to president Yusuf's administration, while central Somalia, to which some warlords have fled, is controlled by several groups.)

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1/The Daily Star, Lebanon Friday, June 16, 2006
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id...

IRAN AND SYRIA SIGN PACT AGAINST ‘COMMON THREATS’

Farhad Pouladi, Agence France Presse

TEHRAN: Defense ministers from close allies Iran and Syria on Thursday signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the "common threats" presented by Israel and the United States. In a joint news conference, Iranian Defense Minister Mustafa Mohammad Najjar and visiting Syrian counterpart Hassan Turkmani said their talks had been aimed at consolidating their defense efforts and strengthening support for one another.

" Our cooperation is based on a strategic pact and unity against common threats. We can have a common front against Israel's threats," Turkmani told reporters after two intensive rounds of talks with Najjar.

(SNIP)

Najjar added that the Syrian side has purchased some Iranian military equipment, but did not elaborate on the purchased items and did not say whether the purchases were made as part of Thursday's agreement. Turkmani started an official visit to Tehran on Sunday.

They also announced the formation of a joint Supreme Defense Commission, but did not give details on its mission.

Before the news conference, Iran's Defense Ministry said the two sides "stressed strengthening mutual ties and the necessity of preserving peace and stability in the region." The statement also said they discussed "ridding the region of weapons of mass destruction," in an apparent reference to the widely held belief that Israel possesses nuclear warheads.

(SNIP)

However, Turkmani dismissed the possibility of hosting an Iranian military base on Syrian soil.

" The language of a [foreign] military base in our country is alien to us. I want to say that it is not on the agenda," he added.

The Iranian defense minister said: "US threats are a kind of psychological operation. It is not new. With unity among the region's nations, these threats will not prevail."

But Najjar stressed that his country would continue producing missiles to "confront any offense" against its territory.

" We will continue both research and development and production of missiles as part of our current trend of activities," he said during the talks.

" If we feel that we are going to be threatened from a single side, then we should find a solution," he said.

Although the two refused to give specifics about the agreement for military cooperation, Najjar said Iran "considers Syria's security its own security, and we consider our defense capabilities to be those of Syria." Najjar also shrugged off reports that Iran could pose a threat to the region.

" Iran is ready to sign a non-aggression pact with regional countries," Najjar said.

" Our military warfare equipment is based on deterrent policies and strategy. Enemies should know about our capabilities and should not even think about an assault against us," he said in response to a question about the optimization process going on for the medium range Shahab-3 missile.

Iran's Shahab-3 missiles have a range of 2,000 kilometers, capable of hitting Israel and US bases in the region. Israel and the United States have jointly developed the Arrow anti-ballistic missile system, which could intercept Iran's Shahab-3 missiles.

Turkmani also met with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

2/The Globe and Mail, Canada 15/06/06
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/R....

NUCLEAR PLAN SKIPS KEY GREEN REVIEW

Critics blast Ontario's decision to forgo a complete environmental assessment

Martin Mittelstaedt

TORONTO — The Ontario government has exempted itself from a law requiring a full environmental assessment for its plan to spend up to $83-billion on nuclear plants and fixing the province's aging electricity system.

The action, which wasn't announced this week when Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said the government intends to proceed with the Ontario Power Authority's 20-year electricity supply plan, is a sign the provincial Liberals are playing hardball with their environmental opponents by fast-tracking approvals.

It means that one of the biggest energy expansions undertaken in Canada will occur without in-depth scrutiny because there will be no independent review by outside experts of the government's overall electricity program.

Such a review would have added years to the approval process for new nuclear reactors, and allowed environmentalists and others to try to persuade the review panel that the government's plans should be modified or rejected, or that there are other, less costly ways to meet the province's power needs.

The province will submit portions of its plan dealing with individual nuclear generating stations to review under a less rigorous federal environmental assessment.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Duncan said the government believes its electricity plan isn't covered by Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act. To make sure this interpretation was clear and would withstand a legal challenge, it issued a regulation explicitly exempting the plan from scrutiny.

" It's always been our position that this type of planning . . . is not captured by the [environmental assessment], but we wanted to make sure that wasn't misinterpreted," said Carmelina Macario, a spokeswoman for the minister.

The government signalled its intention to exempt itself from a review yesterday on an obscure website covering Ontario statutes and regulations.

Environmentalists and opposition politicians immediately reacted with anger.

" The whole integrated plan needs to be examined from a health perspective, from an alternatives perspective, from a financial perspective," said Sarah Miller, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Environmental Law Association. In a legal opinion, the group concluded that a full assessment is necessary to comply with the province's laws, and Ms. Miller called the exemption "profoundly" wrong.

" This is completely sneaky," NDP Leader Howard Hampton said in an interview. "Here they are in the back room, secretly exempting it, trying to escape any kind of public scrutiny."

Premier Dalton McGuinty called the expansion the lesser of two evils yesterday and said critics will have plenty of time to debate it before the next election.

" I think you've got to pick your poison here," Mr. McGuinty said. "People say: 'I don't like nuclear.' Well, I don't like nuclear either, but at least when it comes to waste you can put it in a box and you can contain it."

(MORE)

3/The Korea Herald, South Korea Thursday, June 15, 2006
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html...

SEOUL RELAYS MISSILE CONCERNS TO NORTH

The Seoul government told Pyongyang it was "gravely worried" over the communist state's move to test a long-range missile, sources said yesterday.

News reports from Japan said there were signs since early May that North Korea was preparing to test a multiple-stage Taepodong 2 missile. The intercontinental ballistic missile could reach as far as the United States.

The South Korean government reportedly sent the warning message through an unspecified channel last month upon seizing inside information of the missile test plan, the sources said.

Seoul officials view the missile test by the reclusive state to be a highly dangerous gamble at a time of elevated tension between Pyongyang and Washington and the suspended nuclear negotiations.

The South Korean government was also likely to relay the same concern to the visiting North Korean delegation currently in Gwangju attending the joint celebration marking the sixth anniversary of the inter-Korean summit in 2000.

The delegations of the two Koreas were to hold an hour-long discussion yesterday afternoon.

The proceedings of the talks were undisclosed to the press.

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon had said on Wednesday the South Korean government was closely watching North Korea and taking due measures in cooperation with the United States.

A high-ranking government official yesterday said on condition of anonymity, "The North at present has the framework that can be seen when one is readying for a missile launch."

Commenting on U.S. Ambassador Vershbow's Wednesday remarks on the missile test, the official said, "By 'appropriate measures' Ambassador Vershbow was making the most diplomatically accurate comment. A range of measures can be applied but it depends on the situation which one would be the most appropriate."

The ambassador warned Pyongyang in a radio interview that Washington will take appropriate measures in response to North Korea's missile plan.

It remains unclear whether North Korea is intent on testing the missile or is simply using it as leverage to push Washington to offer an olive branch first - such as by approving chief U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill to come to Pyongyang.

North Korea has repeatedly suggested Hill come for one-on-one talks but Washington's hard-liners remain firm that Pyongyang must come to the six-party talks first.

Some observers also suggest North Korea may be trying to regain international attention, which is currently set on Iran and its nuclear weapons development.

North Korea usually resorts to taking provocative actions in cases of a negotiation deadlock.

(MORE)

4//The Moscow Times, Russia Friday, June 16, 2006. Issue 3433. Page 1.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/06/16/001.html

SLANDER COULD BE DEEMED EXTREMIST

By Oksana Yablokova and Anatoly Medetsky, Staff Writers

The State Duma will soon vote on a bill that would allow courts to shut down parties and news organizations for slandering government officials or threatening possible mass protests, deputies said Thursday.

The Duma's leadership decided Thursday to send the bill -- which includes amendments to expand the list of punishable crimes under the anti-extremism law -- to the president and the Cabinet for a review, Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said.

It is expected to come up for a first reading by the end of this month.

Opposition politicians called the amendments an effort by a worried government to ensure the ruling class remained in power after upcoming national elections. But Gryzlov said the bill -- introduced by 14 deputies representing all the factions in the Duma -- would not punish those critical of the authorities.

One amendment, however, would make it possible to mete out tough punishment to National Bolshevik Party members for their theatrical protests. Bolshevik activists chanted "Putin is the executioner of freedom" at a newspaper conference earlier this month -- something the amendment would classify as public slander against government officials and equate with extremist activity.

Prosecutors could seek the closure of a political group if it or its members commit an offense more than once. Under existing law, parties can avoid legal action if they renounce members accused of offenses.

Under another amendment, the legal definition of extremist activity would be expanded to include "statements" that extremist activity might take place. The provision would make it a crime for news organizations to warn that a government policy might trigger mass protests, said Igor Yakovenko, head of the Russian Union of Journalists.

Yet another amendment would outlaw the printing of leaflets urging mass protests. Large protests brought to power pro-Western presidents in Georgia and Ukraine in 2003 and 2004.

The 14 deputies sponsoring the bill said in a statement on the Duma's web site that the amendments would prevent veiled attempts to stoke extremism. The deputies represent United Russia, the Communist and Liberal Democratic parties and the two factions of Rodina.

Gryzlov said the bill's expanded definition of extremist activity would not encompass legitimate criticism of the government.

Opposition deputies and other politicians sharply criticized the initiative as an attempt to silence them and reduce their chances in Duma elections next year.

(MORE)

5//The Scotsman, UK Thursday, 15th June 2006
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=878182006

FALL OF THE WARLORDS’ LAST STRONGHOLD

Mohamed Ali Bile in Mogadishu

Islamic militias in Somalia yesterday seized the town of Jowhar, the last stronghold of a United States-backed alliance of secular warlords who were driven from the capital, Mogadishu, last week.

The town's capture, after most of the warlords had fled, gives the militias control of nearly the whole of southern Somalia and raises the question of whether they will help the weak interim government or impose Islamic rule.

Residents said fighters linked to the Islamic Courts Union had seized Jowhar airport to the west of the town, about 55 miles from Mogadishu. They also entered from the south, sending terrified locals fleeing as they battered the town with heavy artillery and machineguns.

Suffering the same fate they faced in Mogadishu, the warlords' fighters abandoned their weapons and fled. "Islamic militias have entered the town and the warlord militias have defected," Mohamed Abdi, a resident, said. "After they seized Jowhar airport, they seized the town."

(SNIP)

Yesterday the country's parliament approved plans to invite foreign peacekeepers to help the interim government assert its increasingly doubtful relevance. However, that move may anger the Islamic militias' leaders.

President Abdullahi Yusuf's government, whose armed force consists of little more than the his personal bodyguard, has watched from the sidelines in recent months as the Islamic forces have moved to take control of southern Somalia.

Yesterday's assault appeared to be an attempt to deliver a final blow to the much-weakened warlords, whose fortunes as feudal rulers of patches of Somalia for the past 15 years have taken a sharp turn for the worse.

The Islamic Courts Union and its allies now control all of southern Somalia, except Baidoa, the town where the weak transitional government sits. The north-east is run by an autonomous government allied to president Yusuf's administration, while central Somalia, to which some warlords have fled, is controlled by several groups.

Earlier, the warlords reiterated that they were defending Somalia from fighters wanting to set up an Islamic state. They have accused the militias of harbouring al-Qaeda suspects in Somalia's lawless vacuum, a charge they deny.

(SNIP)

Analysts say the warlords are increasingly isolated, especially after east African nations imposed sanctions, including a travel ban and asset freeze, at talks in Nairobi.

The warlords had ruled Mogadishu, one of the world's most dangerous cities, since 1991, when the former dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre, was deposed, ushering in an era of anarchy.

After taking Mogadishu, the Islamic group sent a letter proclaiming it was not an enemy of the US.

The US administration has not publicly confirmed or denied that it has been backing the warlords, but officials have privately confirmed there has been co-operation with the warlords as part of the global war on terrorism.

Copyright 2006, Gloria R. Lalumia