World Media Watch for April 5, 2002

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. We repeat: This is not an endorsement of their viewpoints.

http://www.buzzflash.com/mediawatch

1//The Independent, UK--MPs BOYCOTT COMMONS TRIBUTE TO QUEEN MOTHER (More than half of Labour's MPs stayed away from Parliament yesterday when it paid tribute to the Queen Mother - amid criticism of the Government's refusal to discuss the Middle East crisis.)

2//The Jerusalem Post, Israel--'POST POLL: 72% OF ISRAELIS FOR WAR (Seventy-two percent of Israelis support the government's decision to wage wide-scale war in the territories, according to a poll commissioned by The Jerusalem Post… At the same time, the survey's results indicated the public is evenly split on longer-term options. While a thin majority appears to believe in the necessity of reoccupying Palestinian towns, only 15% agree the occupation should be permanent. At the same time, 42% oppose any form of reoccupation.)

3//The Jerusalem Post, Israel--GUEST COLUMN: ANNAN AND THE LAWS OF WAR (The deplorable policies cited by Annan in his 1999 speech continue to this day: exclusion of Israel from full membership in the UN, a double standard regarding Israeli acts of self-defense, and a blind eye to outrages committed against Israel.)

4//Pakistan News Service, Pakistan--US EXPRESSED INTEREST IN OIL & GAS PRIVATIZATION (A high level five member US Government/Business delegation led by Mr. Billy A. Mickle, State Senator, Majority Leader of the Oklahoma State Senate, currently on an official visit to Pakistan, held a meeting with Mr. Altaf M. Saleem, the Federal Minister for Privatization, and his senior staff here Tuesday… There was a great deal of interest in the Oil & Gas sector for US investors, he added.)

5//The Guardian, UK--ARRIVING BRITISH TROOPS WARNED TO BE READY FOR GUERRILLA ATTACKS (The coalition forces would not be in Afghanistan in such large numbers, and the US would not have asked for reinforcements, if it was believed that their opponents had been defeated.)

6//BBC/World/Africa. UK--US TEAM VISITS SOMALIA (The highest-level United States delegation to visit Somalia in several years is in the capital, Mogadishu, to discuss Washington's "war on terrorism" and reconciliation between Somali factions.)

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1//The Independent 04 April 2002 22:38 GMT+1
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=281390

MPs BOYCOTT COMMONS TRIBUTE TO QUEEN MOTHER
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

More than half of Labour's MPs stayed away from Parliament yesterday when it paid tribute to the Queen Mother - amid criticism of the Government's refusal to discuss the Middle East crisis.

About 180 of Labour's 410 MPs interrupted their Easter break to attend a two-hour Commons session to mark the Queen Mother's death. Some absentees were republicans, some argued their time was better spent in their constituencies, some were on holiday and others were protesting about the lack of a debate about the Middle East.

(SNIP)

Labour whips did not order the party's MPs to attend, saying that bringing back people from abroad would have added to the cost of recalling Parliament. Labour officials insisted there was a "good" turn-out. The Tories imposed a three-line whip and about 100 of their 164 MPs turned up.

Requests by Labour MPs for a government statement on the Middle East were rejected by the Speaker, Michael Martin. Ministers were reluctant to allow Labour MPs to express their opposition to military action against Iraq before Tony Blair meets President George Bush this weekend.

The veteran Labour backbencher Tam Dalyell told the Commons the Queen Mother, whose brother was killed in the First World War, would have been concerned about the Middle East.

Later, Mr Dalyell said it was "bizarre" for the Government to argue that discussing the Middle East would overshadow the tributes." The House of Commons will be dented," he warned. "If the Middle East is spiralling out of control, I think alleged etiquette and alleged form should go to the wind."

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2//The Jerusalem Post 23 Nisan 5762 02:31Friday April 5, 2002
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/04/05/News/News.46383.html

'POST POLL: 72% OF ISRAELIS FOR WAR
By Jerusalem Post Staff

JERUSALEM (April 5) - Seventy-two percent of Israelis support the government's decision to wage wide-scale war in the territories, according to a poll commissioned by The Jerusalem Post.

The poll of 501 Israeli adults was conducted yesterday by the Smith Institute, headed by Rafi and Hanoch Smith. The margin of error was 4.5%.

Additionally, a plurality of Israelis - 36% - favor Yasser Arafat's expulsion from the territories, while another 23% believe he should be "eliminated." Only 15% favor a return to negotiations with him.

At the same time, the survey's results indicated the public is evenly split on longer-term options. While a thin majority appears to believe in the necessity of reoccupying Palestinian towns, only 15% agree the occupation should be permanent. At the same time, 42% oppose any form of reoccupation.

Israelis also appear to be divided politically. According to the results, were elections held today, 32% would prefer to see Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continue in office, slightly ahead of his nearest rival, former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who polled 26%. Both men poll well ahead of Labor Party rival Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who enjoys a mere 4% support.

(SNIP)

At the same time, the poll indicated some dissatisfaction with the current crop of leaders, with nearly a third of the public indicating a preference for "someone else" or "none of them."

3//The Jerusalem Post 22 Nisan 5762 9Thursday April 4, 2002 http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2002/04/04/Columns/Columns.46301.html

GUEST COLUMN: ANNAN AND THE LAWS OF WAR
By Aharon Friedman and Avi Bell

(Avi Bell is an attorney and co-chairman of the Lawyer's Committee for Democracy in the Middle East. Aharon Friedman is a recent graduate of Harvard Law School and the Kennedy School of Government.)

In 1999, while lobbying for a second term, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan made a startling admission. Citing a record of bias against Israel, Annan acknowledged the impression that the "United Nations serves all the world's peoples but one: the Jews."

Unfortunately, three years later, Annan has not corrected the problem. On the contrary, he has exacerbated it. The deplorable policies cited by Annan in his 1999 speech continue to this day: exclusion of Israel from full membership in the UN, a double standard regarding Israeli acts of self-defense, and a blind eye to outrages committed against Israel.

The UN has also added new missteps. After repeated denials, the UN last August admitted concealing evidence related to the Hezbullah kidnapping of Israeli soldiers. Weeks later, the UN gave its imprimatur to anti-Semitism at the Orwellian-named World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. And the UN has yet to stop terrorist groups such as Hamas and al-Qaeda from headquartering in UN-run refugee camps.

Most recently, amidst a recent spate of Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, Annan on March 12 lambasted Israel's military response, while steadfastly refusing to recognize that Palestinian acts of terror are illegal war crimes. Days later, in an open letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Annan claimed that Israel had breached international humanitarian law.

Annan is wrong. International law supports Israel's strikes against terrorists; under the law, it is Palestinian terror that is illegal.

(SNIP)

In contrast to the Palestinians, Israel's actions - even in civilian areas - are fully legal.

Contrary to Annan's statements, international law permits strikes against military targets in which non-combatants may also be harmed, so long as the damage to non-combatants is proportionate to the military objectives. This rule permits American forces to strike at Taliban and al-Qaeda targets even when located in populated areas, and it likewise permits Israel to strike at Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets, even in Palestinian villages and camps.

It does not permit targeting Israeli civilians in their homes, on the roads, in pizza parlors, shoe stores and playgrounds.

Annan's latest censure of Israel for allegedly harming Palestinian medical personnel is especially perverse. Under international humanitarian law, Palestinians who undertake terrorism or military acts while bearing the symbols of medical personnel are war criminals not entitled to protected status. Palestinian terrorists have consistently used ambulances to help perpetrate violent attacks. Shockingly, neither the UN nor the Red Cross has seen fit to interview the witnesses and collect other evidence of these Palestinian war crimes.

Annan's politicization of the laws of war, and his interpreting them to permit what is forbidden - Palestinian terrorism against civilians, abuse of medical symbols and breaches of peace - and to forbid what is permitted - Israeli self-defense against terrorist targets - undermines the very foundation of those laws, and brings the UN back into its well-earned disrepute.

This is not what we thought Annan had in mind when he campaigned in 1999.

4//Pakistan News Service Updated on 2002-04-03 11:35:02
http://www.paknews.com/business.php?id=1&date1=2002-04-03

US EXPRESSED INTEREST IN OIL & GAS PRIVATIZATION
(Full Text of Press Release)

ISLAMABAD, April 03 (PNS): A high level five member US Government/Business delegation led by Mr. Billy A. Mickle, State Senator, Majority Leader of the Oklahoma State Senate, currently on an official visit to Pakistan, held a meeting with Mr. Altaf M. Saleem, the Federal Minister for Privatization, and his senior staff here Tuesday.

The delegation discussed the privatization opportunities, including the economic situation and the planned privatization of the State entities. Senator Billy A. Mickle remarked that Pakistan's Privatization Programme was in full swing, regulatory framework were well in place and it provided an open, transparent and level playing field, which was essential for the investors. He said that we would look forward to participating in the privatization process. He said that we were having an encouraging message for US investors. There was a great deal of interest in the Oil & Gas sector for US investors, he added.

Following a briefing about the privatization policy and programme Mr. Altaf M. Saleem stressed the Government's firm commitment towards privatization and highlighted the measures taken by this Administration to improve the enabling environment. He believed that there existed good synergy and lucrative opportunities for US investors to participate in the Government's privatization programme, especially in the oil and gas, power and telecommunications sectors. The government intended to offer more fertilizer companies for sale, following the successful bidding of Pak-Saudi Fertilizers Limited, held during the past month, the Minister added. End.

5//The Guardian Thursday April 4, 2002
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,678591,00.html

ARRIVING BRITISH TROOPS WARNED TO BE READY FOR GUERRILLA ATTACKS
Richard Norton-Taylor

Al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are probably planning tactics which may include guerrilla attacks on western troops, a British military intelligence officer in Afghanistan said yesterday.

They were in a "tactical pause" as they planned the next phase of their campaign, Major Tony de Reya told reporters at Bagram airfield, north of Kabul.

Speaking as a second group of about 60 Royal Marine commandos flew in to Bagram from their Gulf base, he said al-Qaida's network, "still sits hand-in-hand with the Taliban".

Its fighters would either return to limited conventional attacks with small arms and more sophisticated weapons or strike isolated targets with mines, grenades and improvised bombs. He warned of the possibility of ambushes, assassinations, and kidnappings. They might change their tactics and attack in a "variety of terrorist styles". These could include hit-and-run raids on troops of the US-led coalition or bomb attacks.

The assumption was based on theory rather than specific intelligence, he said. But he added: "The threat to westerners here is very real".

The fighters were regrouping after the intense fighting around the Shah-i-Kot valley in which eight US soldiers and an unknown number of al-Qaida and Taliban died.

"We've got an idea on groupings, we've got an idea on sizes," he said, without elaborating. "There are large groupings of al-Qaida/Taliban in certain areas of operation."

The coalition forces would not be in Afghanistan in such large numbers, and the US would not have asked for reinforcements, if it was believed that their opponents had been defeated.

Taliban fighters, Afghans who might have support from local villagers, were harder to identify than the Uzbek, Chechen and Arab members of al-Qaida. Shifting loyalties during the Soviet occupation, battles between warlords and fighting between Taliban and Northern Alliance forces, ethnic and tribal alliances, were a further complication.

"It's a real intelligence challenge and that all feeds into the targeting process," the major said. "Absolutely everybody has a history."

(SNIP)

The force will serve under US command, but its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Tim Chicken, has the authority to veto US orders.

A new Afghan national army began to emerge yesterday when 600 soldiers trained for six weeks by international peacekeepers graduated. The country's interim leader Hamid Karzai called it the death knell of the warlords.

6//BBC/World/Africa Wednesday, 3 April, 2002, 16:37 GMT 17:37 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1909000/1909191.stm

US TEAM VISITS SOMALIA

The highest-level United States delegation to visit Somalia in several years is in the capital, Mogadishu, to discuss Washington's "war on terrorism" and reconciliation between Somali factions.

The two-day visit coincides with the start of Western surveillance flights aimed at preventing Al-Qaeda members from escaping from Afghanistan to Somalia by sea.

Ethiopia has accused Somalia's Transitional National Government (TNG) of being infiltrated by radical Islamists linked to al- Qaeda.

But the TNG, led by President Abdulkassim Salat Hassan, has said Osama Bin Laden would not be welcome there and has pledged to help the US fight terrorism.

Peace efforts

The visiting American delegation has been holding talks with TNG leaders. On Tuesday, the US diplomats met faction leaders opposed to the TNG in the port town of Baidoa, one of their aides told the Associated Press news agency. These include the Ethiopia-backed Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council and the Rahanwein Resistance Army, said Abdulkadir Yahye.

The leader of the US team, Zachary Teich, said he would urge all sides to attend peace talks in Kenya later this month.

The TNG controls only parts of Mogadishu and pockets elsewhere in Somalia. Most of the country is ruled by militia groups or self-declared autonomous regional governments.

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© 2002, Gloria R. Lalumia
insight@zianet.com

More Stuff at: http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical

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