World Media Watch for October 9, 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.

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1//TurkishPress.com, USA--PRESS SCAN: SABAH: BUSH SAYS ''DECEMBER'' (U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) asked Turkish General Staff for permission last Friday to deploy soldiers to Northern Iraq from Turkey. The U.S. can hit Iraq in December after the holy month Ramadan. The U.S. which is claimed to launch an operation against Iraq after the Ramadan, will continue to deploy soldiers to the region until that date.)

2//The Jordan Times, Jordan--US TROOPS START ARRIVING FOR JOINT DRILLS (A week ago, news reports indicated that the exercises would take place in November. However, Western and local sources said yesterday that the manoeuvres were initially scheduled to be held from mid-October into November...The code name for the upcoming exercises is "Early Victor."...The sources said such exercises are unrelated to the US threats to attack Iraq.)

3//Asia Times Online, Honk Kong--INDIA, ISRAEL LINKED TO PAKISTAN PLOT (Now, after a year of the US-led war on terrorism, a new proxy war has begun in Afghanistan, this time aimed at Pakistan and involving the intelligence networks of India and Israel. It has been learned from highly placed intelligence sources that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Israel's Mossad are collaborating to train several hundred militants to be used in an attempt to destabilize the administration of President General Pervez Musharraf.)

4//TheNewsmexico.com, Mexico--CARACAS POLICE STRIKE ENTERS SECOND, CRUCIAL WEEK (The strike by Caracas' metropolitan police on Monday entered its second week with no solution on the horizon and with big and potentially violent demonstrations scheduled in the Venezuelan capital... The marches scheduled for Thursday and Sunday will be held despite recommendations to the contrary made by the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations and the Carter Center, which want Venezuela to solve its problems through constitutional and peaceful means.)

5//Stratfor Strategic Forecasting, USA--MILITARY COUP ATTEMPT IMMINENT IN VENEZUELA (A military coup attempt against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is imminent, according to STRATFOR sources in Caracas and the United States. The attempt could be launched within days or even hours... Confirmation of an imminent effort to oust Chavez comes less than 48 hours before a planned Oct. 10 protest march in Caracas. Some opposition groups predict the march will attract between 600,000 and 1 million people demanding Chavez's resignation and new national elections.)

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1//TurkishPress.com Tuesday, October 08, 2002 http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=7274

PRESS SCAN--...brief stories in Turkey's press on October 8, 2002.

The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

SABAH (LIBERAL)

BUSH SAYS ''DECEMBER''

U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) asked Turkish General Staff for permission last Friday to deploy soldiers to Northern Iraq from Turkey. The U.S. can hit Iraq in December after the holy month Ramadan. The U.S. which is claimed to launch an operation against Iraq after the Ramadan, will continue to deploy soldiers to the region until that date. Pentagon asked General Staff for permission to use Turkish bases, and to transfer U.S. soldiers to the region via Turkey. U.S. wants to use Incirlik, Diyarbakýr and Malatya airports. Turkey, on the other hand, insists on the need to abide by U.N. resolutions. Parliamentary decision is necessary under Article 92 of the Turkish Constitution for American soldiers to come to Turkish territory.

2//The Jordan Times Tuesday, October 8, 2002
http://www.jordantimes.com/Tue/homenews/homenews5.htm

US TROOPS START ARRIVING FOR JOINT DRILLS
By Khalid Dalal

AMMAN - A Western diplomatic source confirmed on Monday that US troops began arriving yesterday in Jordan to take part in routine joint military exercises with Jordanian and other Arab contingents.

A week ago, news reports indicated that the exercises would take place in November. However, Western and local sources said yesterday that the manoeuvres were initially scheduled to be held from mid-October into November.

Sources said Omani and Kuwaiti troops would participate in the exercises, but they could not confirm the participation of contingents from the UAE and Egypt as was previously reported.

(SNIP)

The code name for the upcoming exercises is "Early Victor."

In August, Jordanian and US troops undertook joint exercises in the Kingdom's southern desert.

(SNIP)

The sources said such exercises are unrelated to the US threats to attack Iraq.

Jordan has repeatedly affirmed that it will not be a launchpad for any US strike against any Arab country.

3//Asia Times Online Oct. 8, 2002
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/DJ08Df06.html

INDIA, ISRAEL LINKED TO PAKISTAN PLOT
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - For the past 23 years, Afghanistan has served as a proxy military playing field for different countries, including the former Soviet Union, the United States and Pakistan. Now, after a year of the US-led war on terrorism, a new proxy war has begun in Afghanistan, this time aimed at Pakistan and involving the intelligence networks of India and Israel.

It has been learned from highly placed intelligence sources that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Israel's Mossad are collaborating to train several hundred militants to be used in an attempt to destabilize the administration of President General Pervez Musharraf.

The sources say that training camps have been established near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, and the eastern city of Jalalabad, which lies close to Pakistan's western tribal areas. It is said that RAW has arranged most of the "human resources", while training is the responsibility of the Special Operations Division (Metsada) of Mossad. Metsada generally conducts highly sensitive assassination, sabotage, paramilitary and psychological warfare projects.

Once trained, the recruits will infiltrate the border areas of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan Province, where they will attempt to forge links with local tribespeople and militants in an effort to rally support for an uprising against Musharraf, who is widely discredited in these regions for abandoning the Taliban and siding with the US in its war on terror. These provinces have a strong pro-Taliban history.

(SNIP)

The move by RAW and Mossad, as indicated by the intelligence sources, will tap into a large section of the population in NWFP and Balochistan that feels betrayed by Musharraf over his ditching of the Taliban. For India's part, it hopes to stoke the fires of unrest by using those militants who refuse to muzzle their guns despite the entreaties of their leaders. It has long been India's desire to portray Pakistan as an unstable country that supports cross-border terrorism into Kashmir in order to gain international support for Delhi's position on Kashmir - that of staging elections.

In recent times, little-known organizations such as the al-Iqwan and the al-Faran have been the brainchild of RAW, the sources said. These groups have carried out a number of relatively minor incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir, such as kidnapping foreign tourists, which New Delhi has used to back its claim that Kashmiri fighters are international terrorists. These organizations have not been heard of since.

RAW has not been capable of setting up groups to carry out larger incidents without its hand being shown, hence its collaboration with Mossad, which is undoubtedly thoroughly professional and which is thought to have carried out a number of high-profile incidents without leaving a trail.

Within Pakistan, a few small groups are known to be beyond the control of the Pakistani government. Two of them, the al-Saiqa and the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami, have revealed themselves through fax messages to newspaper offices in which they have claimed responsibility for incidents.

(SNIP)

It is into these groups that the new alliance between RAW and Mossad will feed their trained men in the hope of keeping the wheels of unrest moving sufficiently until popular unrest is strong enough to create anarchy in the country.

4//TheNewsmexico.com 10/8/2002
http://www.thenewsmexico.com/noticia.asp?id=37032

CARACAS POLICE STRIKE ENTERS SECOND, CRUCIAL WEEK

EFE - 10/8/2002

CARACAS - The strike by Caracas' metropolitan police on Monday entered its second week with no solution on the horizon and with big and potentially violent demonstrations scheduled in the Venezuelan capital.

Police union leaders, most veteran sergeants, rejected a 20-percent salary increase offer starting in January 2003 for the force's 10,000 members, and called for changes in the force's hierarchy.

In the absence of police patrols on the capital's streets, National Guard troops have been deployed to maintain order and security.

Caracas Mayor Alfredo Peña, a staunch opponent of President Hugo Chavez, said the conflict has been exacerbated by the government. He accused the administration of seeking to undermine his authority over the force and prevent it from protecting protesters who on Oct. 10 will take to the streets to demand Chavez's resignation.

Peña has been accused by government officials of using the metropolitan police to defend anti-governmental groups and repress government sympathizers, who he refers to as "hordes" and "mobs."

Spokesmen for the police, some of whom chained themselves to the gates of the force's headquarters, in recent days accused Peña of "politicizing" the institution.

(SNIP)

The marches scheduled for Thursday and Sunday will be held despite recommendations to the contrary made by the Organization of American States (OAS), the United Nations and the Carter Center, which want Venezuela to solve its problems through constitutional and peaceful means.

5//Stratfor Strategic Forecasting 8 October 2002
http://www.stratfor.com/fib/topStory_view.php?ID=206706

MILITARY COUP ATTEMPT IMMINENT IN VENEZUELA

A military coup attempt against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is imminent, according to STRATFOR sources in Caracas and the United States. The attempt could be launched within days or even hours.

The Chavez regime already has deployed hundreds of soldiers throughout Caracas. The government also has begun conducting raids on the homes of politicians and military officers suspected of direct involvement in the plot.

Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello said Oct. 8 that the deployment of soldiers and light armored vehicles throughout Caracas since late Oct. 5 is necessary to "defend the constitution" and prevent the opposition from blocking main roads and highways if a coup is attempted.

Sources in the Chavez regime are confident that the government has the firepower to suppress a rebellion, but opposition sources with direct knowledge of coup preparations say that the regime's military opponents have the capability to neutralize Chavez's supporters inside the armed forces.

Confirmation of an imminent effort to oust Chavez comes less than 48 hours before a planned Oct. 10 protest march in Caracas. Some opposition groups predict the march will attract between 600,000 and 1 million people demanding Chavez's resignation and new national elections.

(MORE)

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

Updated listings of Radio for Progressives on the internet at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical

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