World Media Watch for October 11, 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//The Dawn, Pakistan--EU WATCHING PROCESS (The EU's surge of interest in Pakistan reflects both Europe's own wider reach into Asia and the Muslim world and Pakistan's growing strategic importance to an increasingly ambitious EU seeking alliances with moderate Islamic nations.)

2//Stratfor Strategic Forecasting, USA--ATTACKS ON U.S. FORCES HIGHLIGHT THREAT OF FIFTH COLUMN (As was the case for the initial U.S. deployments in Pakistan during the early stage of last year's attack on Afghanistan, the presence of hostile elements around U.S. facilities creates an added risk to operations. This new threat will require additional defense preparations, compounding financial and manpower costs and potentially impacting the main operations against Iraq, as the threat of small-scale rear-area attacks will be ever-present.)

3//TurkishPress.com, USA--PRESS SCAN: 'LIMITS'' EXCEEDED IN NORTHERN IRAQ; IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE DIVIDED; TURKEY TO KEEP REFUGEES IN 36TH PARALLEL

4//Mail & Guardian, South Africa--SA SHOOTS DOWN IRAQI ARMS DEAL CLAIMS (But the allegations have since been dismissed by South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad as "nonsense" and aimed at discrediting former President Nelson Mandela for his public criticism of the two countries' plans to attack Iraq.)

5//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--SAUDI-US PROJECTS ON RISE (The number of joint ventures between Saudi Arabia and the United States increased from 286 in March 2001 to 312 within a year, according to a report published by the Saudi-American Business Council...A Saudi business delegation recently visited Virginia to meet with American businessmen and discuss prospects of strengthening economic, investment and commercial ties.)

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1//The Dawn 10 October 2002 Thursday 03 Shaban 1423
http://www.dawn.com/2002/10/10/top5.htm

EU WATCHING PROCESS
By Shadaba Islam

BRUSSELS, Oct 9: Pakistanis going to the polls on Thursday will be watched carefully by an international community anxious to see the country return to stable civilian rule.

Washington has made no secret of its interest in ensuring a restoration of democracy in a country viewed as a vital ally in the global coalition against terror.

But diplomats and officials in Brussels say the elections will also be scrutinized carefully by the 15 European Union governments and the European Commission.

Eager to reward Gen Pervez Musharraf's decision to join the international drive against terror, the EU has spent the last year upgrading relations with Pakistan, both through reinforced political contacts and by earmarking millions of euros in aid and trade concessions for Islamabad.

The EU's surge of interest in Pakistan reflects both Europe's own wider reach into Asia and the Muslim world and Pakistan's growing strategic importance to an increasingly ambitious EU seeking alliances with moderate Islamic nations.

(SNIP)

Europe's new-found interest in Pakistan is reflected in the deployment of almost 90 long-term and short-term European Union election observers who, along with other international monitoring teams, will be keeping a close watch on the conduct of Thursday's polls.

Officials in Brussels admit that the EU team in Pakistan led by veteran election monitor and member of European Parliament John Cushnahan faces a challenging task.

Apart from security fears, European Union election observers have to deal with a complicated political situation, made even more complex by the size of the country.

2//Stratfor Strategic Forecasting 10 October 2002
http://www.stratfor.com/fib/topStory_view.php?ID=206799

ATTACKS ON U.S. FORCES HIGHLIGHT THREAT OF FIFTH COLUMN

Summary

The recent attack on U.S. Marines in Kuwait, a bombing in the Philippines that killed one American soldier, and renewed threats from al Qaeda raise a new concern for U.S. action against Iraq: the presence of a possible fifth column. The potential threat from locals around U.S. bases and force buildups in the Gulf region will require additional security to defend these forces.

Analysis

(SNIP)

As Washington gears up for military action against Iraq, the strikes on U.S. soldiers abroad demonstrate the challenges U.S. military planners face in defending forces from indigenous attacks, especially in the Gulf region. And as the attack against U.S. troops in Kuwait shows, a key security threat for American forces in the Gulf is the potential presence of a fifth column.

Unlike during the 1991 Gulf War, when Kuwait was being liberated and its citizens supported the U.S. military operations, the current mood in the Middle East is very different. In addition to planning for the Iraqi operations, U.S. war planners must factor in the added cost of troop security.

As was the case for the initial U.S. deployments in Pakistan during the early stage of last year's attack on Afghanistan, the presence of hostile elements around U.S. facilities creates an added risk to operations. This new threat will require additional defense preparations, compounding financial and manpower costs and potentially impacting the main operations against Iraq, as the threat of small-scale rear-area attacks will be ever-present.

3//TurkishPress.com Thursday, October 10, 2002
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=7305

PRESS SCAN-- major headlines in Turkey's press on October 9, 2002 via The Anadolu Agency.

From MILLIYET (LIBERAL)
'LIMITS'' EXCEEDED IN NORTHERN IRAQ

Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit reiterated his warning after he examined the new constitution draft foreseeing federation in Northern Iraq and drew the attention to the draft which he defined as ''unacceptable.'' Touching on the draft, Ecevit said, ''this is only a draft. It has not become definite and official yet. However, it cannot be accepted in its current shape. It almost erases Iraq from the map. It almost does not give any authority to the central government. It considers Baghdad as non-existent. It recognizes more authorities to Northern Iraq, which it foresees as a federal state, than this status requires. It foresees a status close to independence. It puts forward some intentions which refer to Sevres Treaty. It gives an army under command of the head of the federation.''

From TURKIYE (RIGHT)
IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE DIVIDED

Iraqi Turkmen Front Representative in Turkey Mustafa Ziya said that the United States assured that a Kurdish state would not be founded in Northern Iraq. Regarding the timing of an operation against Iraq, Ziya said, ''it does not happen in the winter. I suppose that it would start either before the winter or in March.'' Ziya said that Turkmen had nothing to do with the Kurdish parliament and that division of Iraq would cause a chaos in the Middle East.

From ZAMAN (CONSERVATIVE)
TURKEY TO KEEP REFUGEES IN 36TH PARALLEL

The Prime Ministry took action to block a refugee wave following a possible U.S. military operation against Iraq. At a meeting held under chairwomanship of Prime Ministry Under Secretary Fusun Koroglu yesterday, it was decided to keep refugees between the 36th and 37th parallels outside the border. Turkey which will enter Northern Iraq to meet refugees is making preparations for tents and foodstuffs for 300 thousand refugees.

4//Mail & Guardian Friday, October 11, 2002
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?o=10272

SA SHOOTS DOWN IRAQI ARMS DEAL CLAIMS
Johannesburg
10 October 2002 07:30

South Africa, as a matter of policy, would not sell or provide military equipment or technologies used in developing weapons of mass destruction to any country deemed to be posing a proliferation risk, the SA Council for the Non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction said on Wednesday.

The Council -- a statutory body advising the Trade and Industry ministry on regulating weapons of mass destruction -- was reacting to last week's allegations by two foreign publications that South Africa was selling equipment used to develop nuclear weapons to Iraq.

The Council's chairman Abdul Minty said in a statement on Wednesday the body had, up to now, not approved any exports of controlled goods, including special aluminium tubes that could be used for uranium enrichment, to Iraq.

(SNIP)

The publications, Britain's The Spectator and America's Insight on the News, ran articles alleging that South Africa was selling aluminium tubes for uranium centrifuges to Iraq, and that the First Secretary at the South African Embassy in Jordan was acting as the local sales representative to Iraqi procurement agents.

But the allegations have since been dismissed by South Africa's Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad as "nonsense" and aimed at discrediting former President Nelson Mandela for his public criticism of the two countries' plans to attack Iraq.

(MORE)

5//Arab News 11 October 2002 / 4 Sha`ban 1423
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=19319

SAUDI-US PROJECTS ON RISE
By Omar Al-Zobaidy, Arab News Staff

RIYADH, 10 October - The number of joint ventures between Saudi Arabia and the United States increased from 286 in March 2001 to 312 within a year, according to a report published by the Saudi-American Business Council.

The report said that capital investment in industrial and non-industrial joint venture projects rose by SR13 billion from SR65.4 billion to SR78.4 billion.

(SNIP)

However, the council pointed out that there was substantial fall in the volume of commercial exchange between the US and Saudi Arabia as Saudi imports from America dropped from SR10.5 billion in May 2001 to SR6.8 billion in May 2002, registering a fall of SR3.7 billion.

During the same period, Saudi exports to the United States decreased from SR23.5 billion to SR17.7billion, with a difference of SR5.8 billion or 23 percent.

A Saudi business delegation recently visited Virginia to meet with American businessmen and discuss prospects of strengthening economic, investment and commercial ties.

Abdul Aziz Al-Quraishi, co-chairman of Saudi-American Business Council, expressed hope that the visit would help increase Saudi-US joint projects.

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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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