WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR NOVEMBER 30, 2001

BUZZFLASH NOTE: Once again, these are the views and perspectives of the individual papers, not of BuzzFlash or Gloria. They offer BuzzFlash readers a way of reading what other nations are saying about the crisis, whether we like it or not.

1//Pakistan News Service, Pakistan--DIFFERENCES INTENSIFY AMONG NA COMMANDERS ("Northern Alliance is feared to split into many factions in couple of days.")

2//The Dawn, Pakistan--US IGNORES REQUEST FOR SPARE ("…there is a growing fear that other pledges might not be honoured.")

3//Pravda, Russia--THE DRUG FLOW FROM AFGHANISTAN VIA THE REPUBLIC OF KYRGYZSTAN MAY INCREASE A LOT ("Twenty drug-making factories may start working, especially as there is no other job in this country. Growing poppy is considered to be absolutely normal. So there is no need to chase Bin Laden. There are much more important things to do.")

4//Jerusalem Post, Israel--SPAT WITH PERES CLOUDS SHARON'S US TRIP ("You are bypassing me and establishing a second Foreign Ministry," Peres said to Sharon, according to reports.)

5//The Egyptian Gazette, Egypt--"PROPAGATING LIES TO COVER UP ISRAELI ACTS DOES DISSERVICE TO PEACEMAKING"-MUBARAK REFUTES ISRAEL CLAIMS ON N. KOREA ARMS DEAL ("Meanwhile, Israel radio yesterday reported that Tel Aviv protested to the US over a 400 million dollar arms deal the latter unveiled for Egypt.")

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1//Pakistan News Service November 29, 2001
http://www.paknews.com/specialNews.php?id=263&date1=2001-11-29

DIFFERENCES INTENSIFY AMONG NA COMMANDERS
Updated on 2001-11-29 01:10:04

Kabul, Nov 29 (PNS): Differences among Northern Alliance commanders over the government offices and booty have been intensified at various areas of Afghanistan.

After gaining victory over Taliban, the tug of war among Gen Fahim, Gen Rahim, Gen Siaf and Gen Dawood has intensified for acquiring high offices as well as distribution of war booty among them.

The United Nations has been making efforts to make former King Zahir Shah as the president while Burhanuddin Rabbani as new Prime Minster of the country. However, many generals have objections over the president-ship of Rabbani. They want him to become the Prime Minster while he his reluctant to accept the premiership. On the other hand Gen Rashid Dostum is also desirous to become Prime Minister.

(SKIP)

Northern Alliance is feared to split into many factions in couple of days. End.

2//The Dawn 29 November 2001 Thursday 13 Ramazan 1422
http://www.dawn.com/2001/11/29/top9.htm

US IGNORES REQUEST FOR SPARES By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: The United States pronouncements of lifting military sanctions so far remain meaningless for Pakistan armed forces as no request, made for much-needed spares, has been entertained by Washington, Dawn learnt here from authoritative sources.

Defence officials concerned with procurement of spares, particularly of Pakistan navy and air force, had taken a sigh of relief after Washington announced lifting of military sanctions against Pakistan. But, their hopes of getting spare parts appear to be fading as they have not received any positive response despite sending repeated requests for these parts.

(SKIP)

"What is more disturbing for Pakistani officials is that they have been asked not to make any further contacts till an official notification was received by them," the official said.

Islamabad's request for the supply of 28 F-16s fighter planes had already been turned down by the Bush administration and with the changing situation in Afghanistan, there is a growing fear that other pledges might not be honoured.

The US had slapped military sanctions on Pakistan in May 1998, when Islamabad carried out nuclear tests in response to a series of similar tests conducted by its arch rival India.

Though the imposition of sanctions had been generally regarded as a blessing in disguise, as it made Pakistan self-reliant in many areas, the need of military spare parts had not been totally over because of a wide-range of imported defence equipment used by the armed forces, particularly the air force.

While Pakistan Air Force requires spares for its F-16 planes, navy wants spares for its PC-3 Orion and even for French helicopters, parts of which are being developed in the United States under license.

3//Pravda 20:23 2001-11-28
http://english.pravda.ru/main/2001/11/28/22314.html

YURY RAZGULAYEV: THE DRUG FLOW FROM AFGHANISTAN VIA THE REPUBLIC OF KYRGYZSTAN MAY INCREASE A LOT

The law-enforcement bodies of the Osha region of the republic of Kyrgyzstan conducted a large scale operation during the last two weeks of October to check the contraband routes used for the delivery of drugs from Afghanistan, which is a neighbouring country to Kyrgyzstan. The reason for the operation was the drastic change of the situation in Afghanistan, the analysis of the plans of the new political forces that came to power there, and how they treat the production and distribution of the drugs, which have made Afghanistan the most dangerous country in the world.

There were 24 kilos of heroine seized during the 15 days of the operation, not to mention raw opium, which is not at all considered to be serious there. Timur Isakov works as the deputy chairman of the department for the struggle against the drug trade; he is also the head of the Center of Strategic Information and Analysis of the Internal Affairs Ministry of Kyrgyzstan. Isakov said that one gram of heroine was enough to produce 20 - 40 doses. Therefore, the withdrawn amount of heroine would be enough for a million injections, while there are 300 thousand people living in the Osha region.

(SKIP)

Isakov added that the drugs were forwarded on other new routes that were different from the ones that were considered as "traditional." This means that the new Afghanistan authorities took control over this business. There is nothing surprising in this respect. Drugs have always been the main source of income to purchase weapons, not only for the Taliban.

(SKIP)

The Northern Alliance is another matter. They have weaker funding sources, so they were earning their income from selling drugs. General Dostum had a factory producing heroine. So why should the new Afghani power (the Northern Alliance) refuse such a profitable business? It would be more logic to suppose that the winners of the Afghan war will work even more in this respect and the Taliban reserves will be given a go. The Northern Alliance will have to purchase new defense technology, to pay wages to their mercenaries, and so on.

(SKIP)

The Taliban movement has formally lost in the war. The Northern Alliance has already taken the three-fourths of the entire territory of Afghanistan. But one should not think about Afghanistan in the European way: the Tajiks and Uzbeks are not likely to establish the total control over the country that is basically inhabited by the Pashtuns. One may assume that all the plans of the western politicians to set up the order they want will simply fail there.

(SKIP)

Specialists are certain that if there is no tough control established in the new Afghanistan, then the drug flow from this country will grow and grow. Twenty drug-making factories may start working, especially as there is no other job in this country. Growing poppy is considered to be absolutely normal. So there is no need to chase Bin Laden. There are much more important things to do.

4//The Jerusalem Post 15 Kislev 5762 22:20 Thurs. November 29, 2001
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/11/29/News/News.38994.html

SPAT WITH PERES CLOUDS SHARON'S US TRIP
By Gil Hoffman

JERUSALEM (November 29) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaves for the United States tonight under the cloud of a political dispute with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres over the government's approach to talks with US envoy Anthony Zinni.

Sharon and Peres clashed at yesterday morning's security cabinet meeting over the prime minister's decision to appoint counterterrorism expert Meir Dagan to head talks with Zinni instead of a higher- level team headed by Peres himself.

"You are bypassing me and establishing a second Foreign Ministry," Peres said to Sharon, according to reports.

Sharon reportedly replied that politicians do not handle previous diplomatic talks, and the Palestinians appointed top officials to their negotiating team in an attempt to force Israel to negotiate under fire.

(SKIP)

Peres later explained why he believes a higher-level delegation should head the talks at a meeting of the Labor Party. "The negotiations to reach a cease-fire must have complex, serious, political, and emotional dimensions," Peres said. "That's my disagreement with the prime minister. I don't see [these talks] as a technical matter. It's not a personal dispute, and I am not hiding it."

Referring to himself, Peres said achieving a cease-fire requires someone with a "diplomatic vision" and experience leading negotiations. The person empowered to lead the talks, he said, has to be someone who can implement the vision decided on in the talks.

Peres said he disagrees with Sharon's decisions not to negotiate under fire and to insist on seven days without Palestinian violence, but he has accepted Sharon's directive, because Labor lost the election.

(SKIP)

"I am sitting in the government, because we are running out of time to solve the conflict, even though I would rather be outside [in the opposition]," Peres said. "To reach a cease-fire, I think it should be permissible to come to the talks with a set program for solving the conflict."

Peres warned that the Gulf states have raised $200 million for Hamas and said Tuesday's terrorist attack in Jenin proved the folly of allowing a single gunman to determine whether Israel negotiates.

(MORE)


5//The Egyptian Gazette Thursday 29 November 2001
http://64.124.221.202/algomhuria2/gazette/1/1.htm

"PROPAGATING LIES TO COVER UP ISRAELI ACTS DOES DISSERVICE TO PEACEMAKING"-MUBARAK REFUTES ISRAEL CLAIMS ON N. KOREA ARMS DEAL

PRESIDENT Hosni Mubarak has dismissed as "wholly untrue and baseless" Israeli media claims that Egypt had concluded a deal to purchase surface-to-surface missiles from North Korea.

"This is wholly untrue and baseless news. I have repeatedly said that we do not seek to own such a kind of weapons. Nor do we plan to acquire them because we are not out for aggression," he told the editor of the Middle East News Agency (MENA).

The Israeli media claimed that South Korean newspapers had published details of an alleged secret deal between North Korea and Egypt allowing the latter to acquire 24 missiles of 1,000-km range.

(SKIP)

"Our unchanged principle is the pursuit of a fair peace under which peoples will feel secure in an area free of weapons of mass destruction, Israel sets itself apart by possessing nuclear and chemical weapons," said Mubarak. He, however, said he was not surprised at such allegations. "The aim is too obvious. There are those who are planning to stir up tensions in the region or with the US with which we are bound together with strong ties."

He noted that propagation of lies is designed to cover up Israel's anti-peace moves. "Defending Israel rightly or wrongly does not serve the peace process. Nor is it for the good of Israel." Mubarak urged sincere efforts be made to build regional peace which he said would be in the best interest and security of all peoples.

Meanwhile, Israel radio yesterday reported that Tel Aviv protested to the US over a 400 million dollar arms deal the latter unveiled for Egypt. The broadcast did not rule out that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would raise the issue during a meeting next week with senior US officials. Israeli sources said they were worried that the deal would affect Israel's qualitative military edge in the region.

Israel radio quoted what it termed as a US congressional source which it did not name as saying that the Egyptian-US deal was blunting Israeli military superiority in the Middle East. Israeli supporters in the US Congress are attempting to block the deal.

The Washington Post Tuesday reported that the Bush administration planned to provide Egypt with surface-to-surface missiles and four patrol boats on which to base them in the $400 million deal.

Copyright 2001, Gloria R. Lalumia

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