by Gloria R. Lalumia
World
Media Watch
by Gloria R. Lalumia
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//Asia
Times Online, Hong Kong--ANALYSIS: WELL, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT! (Bush has
only himself to blame if he now might be called a hypocrite for negotiating
with Kim but not Saddam. It was he who lumped them together. But in strategic
terms, a Middle East without Saddam is vastly more important than a North
Korea without Kim. That won't be said out loud; it's fact nonetheless.
It took Washington the better part of two weeks to reach that conclusion.
That such a conclusion has in fact been reached will, however, become
evident in coming days and weeks.)
2//Jane's Intelligence Digest, UK--INDONESIA'S FINAL DAYS? (There is wider
regional concern that Indonesia may now face an escalating campaign of
terrorist attacks. Given the relative weakness of the present government,
and its dependence of the support of Islamic parties, the most likely
result of the Sari Club bomb attack is a rapid destabilisation of the
country as a whole. This would open the way for the militants to challenge
the authority of the central government as a first step towards achieving
their principal objective: the creation of a purely Islamic multi-national
state in the region.)
3//The Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates--IRAQ HAS NO TIME TO ANSWER US CHARGES ON OSAMA TIES ("Our battle is deep and wide and we haven't the time to study Bin Laden and formulate our position towards him," Mr Ibrahim told journalists in response to a question on Baghdad's stance towards the Al Qaeda chief..."Every Iraqi house is now a combat cell. We have prepared the Iraqi people to fight in the villages and in the towns," he told a Press conference to announce the results of Tuesday's referendum on a new seven-year term for President Saddam Hussein.)
4//TurkishPress.com,
USA--PRESS SCAN: GENERAL FRANKS DUE IN TURKEY; TWO DIFFERENT STATEMENTS
5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--INTELLIGENCE FAILURE RILES
CONGRESSMEN (LAWMAKERS are demanding to know why government intelligence
agencies failed to take steps to prevent the new bombings in Zamboanga
City, while National Security Adviser Roilo Golez downplayed the bombings
as a "local incident"... Surigao del Sur Congressman Prospero
Pichay, head of the House of Representatives defense committee, said Thursday
he would summon intelligence officials to a committee inquiry for their
failure to prevent the bombings. Pichay said that after the terrorist
attack on Bali, Indonesia, that killed at least 190 people on Oct. 12
the intelligence agencies should have taken measures to prevent the bombings
Thursday. "Four bombs in a day indicate that our intelligence agents
are not very vigilant," he said.)
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1//Asia
Times Online October 12, 2002
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/DJ18Dg04.html
ANALYSIS:
WELL, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT!
By Marc Erikson
North Korea's Dear Leader Kim Jong-il seems to be in a peculiar ebullient show-and-tell mood. Last month he admitted to a visiting Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi that North Korean intelligence agents had indeed kidnapped more than a dozen Japanese citizens, as long suspected. Some time between October 3 and 5 one of Kim's officials confessed to visiting US assistant secretary of state James Kelly that North Korea, in material breach of a 1994 agreement, had an active nuclear-weapons program. So what's next? Kim's professing that he's indeed a major missile-technology proliferator and proud of membership in George W Bush's axis-of-evil threesome?
North Korea's secret nuclear program not only violates a 1994 accord under which the country undertook to dismantle all such work in return for receiving two light-water nuclear reactors; it also is in contravention of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguard agreement, and the Joint North-South Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The US Central Intelligence Agency believes that North Korea has produced enough plutonium for at least one, quite possibly two or three nukes. And, of course, it has the proven ballistic-missile capability to deliver them to Japan, even Alaska. What to do about it all will - among other things - be discussed by James Kelly with South Korea on Saturday and by Kelly and US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security John Bolton with Japan on Sunday and Monday.
What's most curious about the affair is why the United States - and Japan, which was informed by Kelly on his way back from Pyongyang - have waited nearly two weeks before making the Pyongyang story public. The Tokyo side is easy: the US requested secrecy. Moreover, that will have suited Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is preparing for meetings on October 29-30 in Kuala Lumpur between North Korean and Japanese officials to further the rapprochement process. Japan wants to go ahead with the KL confab and early publicity on the North Korean nuclear violations might have scuttled it.
Washington? Not that difficult either. The Bush administration wanted the Iraq war authorization from Congress signed, sealed and delivered before having to face nasty questions on why it is prepared to continue talking to a nuclear-armed Pyongyang but not to Saddam Hussein, who - at least in plain material capability - would appear to pose a lesser threat.
(SNIP)
President Bush will now undoubtedly face any number of questions on his motivation if he pursues the campaign against Saddam Hussein while acquiescing on the Kim Jong-il threat. Acquiesce nonetheless he will - and not unreasonably so. There will be some hollering, but no tangible action. Indeed, there is behind-the-scenes talk in Washington that Kim's owning up to having a weapons program might be viewed as a positive, that the cards are now on the table, that - with Chinese, Japanese and Russian assistance - the threat can be contained, and that serious negotiations to eliminate it can ensue.
Bush has only himself to blame if he now might be called a hypocrite for negotiating with Kim but not Saddam. It was he who lumped them together. But in strategic terms, a Middle East without Saddam is vastly more important than a North Korea without Kim. That won't be said out loud; it's fact nonetheless. It took Washington the better part of two weeks to reach that conclusion. That such a conclusion has in fact been reached will, however, become evident in coming days and weeks.
2//Jane's
Intelligence Digest 17 October 2002
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid021017_1_n.shtml
INDONESIA'S
FINAL DAYS?
(Non-subscriber extract)
This week's terrorist atrocity in Bali may or may not prove to have been the work of Al-Qaeda - or its allies. However, the consequences of the bomb attack, which has killed nearly 200, could prove disastrous for Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Terrorism in Indonesia is hardly a new phenomenon. Although the group that has received most media attention is Jemaah Islamiah, local intelligence experts point to the existence of many smaller militant organisations. These are often tiny, independent cells that have been involved in attacks against targets which their members regard as violating Islamic customs such as bars serving alcohol.
Most terrorist incidents in Indonesia - and there have been hundreds - receive little international attention. What distinguished the latest bombing was that it was clearly aimed at foreign tourists and has achieved devastating results. This is one reason why the international media, as well as some politicians, have been quick to point the finger of blame at Osama bin Laden's network.
However, JID's sources within the Western intelligence community caution that these conclusions may be premature. One key factor is the choice of target, which would seem to represent a radical departure for Al-Qaeda.
As one expert who has been tracking Al-Qaeda and its allies for years observed: "This attack just doesn't appear to fit the established pattern. Al-Qaeda's record of terrorism points to high-profile assaults on highly symbolic targets: US embassies, the World Trade Center, military personnel. Aiming at foreign tourists in a predominantly Hindu enclave like Bali points to local militants with a different agenda."
(SNIP)
There is wider regional concern that Indonesia may now face an escalating campaign of terrorist attacks. Given the relative weakness of the present government, and its dependence of the support of Islamic parties, the most likely result of the Sari Club bomb attack is a rapid destabilisation of the country as a whole. This would open the way for the militants to challenge the authority of the central government as a first step towards achieving their principal objective: the creation of a purely Islamic multi-national state in the region.
3//The Khaleej Times 17 October 2002. 11 Shaaban, 1423
http://www.khaleejtimes.co.ae/middleeast.htm#storyh
IRAQ HAS NO TIME TO ANSWER US CHARGES ON OSAMA TIES
BAGHDAD - Iraq does not have the time to respond to US charges of links with terror mastermind Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network, Baghdad's number two Ezzat Ibrahim said yesterday.
"Our battle is deep and wide and we haven't the time to study Bin Laden and formulate our position towards him," Mr Ibrahim told journalists in response to a question on Baghdad's stance towards the Al Qaeda chief.
(SNIP)
"We are ready to fight the Americans if they tread upon Iraqi territory. We will surprise them and fight them everywhere, in every village and every town," Mr Ibrahim warned while officially releasing the relults of Tuesday's referendum on Saddam Hussein's rule.
"Every Iraqi house is now a combat cell. We have prepared the Iraqi people to fight in the villages and in the towns," he told a Press conference to announce the results of Tuesday's referendum on a new seven-year term for President Saddam Hussein.
"Iraq has taken the steps necessary to overcome US superiority," Mr Ibrahim said. "Shepherds are a combat cell, the people working the land are a combat cell. We will fight them with 25 million Iraqis." - AFP
4//TurkishPress.com October 17, 2002
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=7412
PRESS SCAN
SABAH
(LIBERAL)
GENERAL FRANKS DUE IN TURKEY
Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command General Tommy Franks will come to Turkey on Monday. General Franks will meet with General Staff Chief General Hilmi Ozkok and General Staff Deputy Chief General Yasar Buyukanit. During his contacts in Turkey, General Franks is expected to convey three messages of the United States: The United States will support Turkey in the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) if Turkey supports a possible military operation against Iraq and extends mandate of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan for six more months.
TURKIYE
(RIGHT)
TWO DIFFERENT STATEMENTS
There is a difference of opinion between Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the recent developments in Northern Iraq. Last week, Prime Minister Ecevit said, ''the sides have gone too far in Northern Iraq. There are some developments in the region which were undesirable for Turkey. We will not allow foundation of an independent Kurdish state in Northern Iraq.'' Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Yusuf Buluc's statements about Northern Iraq confused the public opinion. Buluc stressed that developments in the region were under control of Turkey, and called everyone to act with calmness.
IZGI: ''WE SHOULD TAKE KIRKUK UNDER PROTECTION''
Parliament Speaker Omer Izgi stressed that Turkey would never allow foundation of a Kurdish state in Northern Iraq, and added, ''if Western countries and the United States insist on maintaining their current attitude, Kirkuk, Mousul and As Sulaymaniyah should be taken under protection of Turkey.''
5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer Posted: 11:58 PM (Manila Time)
| Oct. 17, 2002
http://www.inq7.net/nat/2002/oct/18/nat_2-1.htm
INTELLIGENCE
FAILURE RILES CONGRESSMEN
By Juliet L. Javellana, Inquirer News Service
LAWMAKERS are demanding to know why government intelligence agencies failed to take steps to prevent the new bombings in Zamboanga City, while National Security Adviser Roilo Golez downplayed the bombings as a "local incident".
Surigao del Sur Congressman Prospero Pichay, head of the House of Representatives defense committee, said Thursday he would summon intelligence officials to a committee inquiry for their failure to prevent the bombings.
Pichay said that after the terrorist attack on Bali, Indonesia, that killed at least 190 people on Oct. 12 the intelligence agencies should have taken measures to prevent the bombings Thursday. "Four bombs in a day indicate that our intelligence agents are not very vigilant," he said.
Oppositionist Congressman Gilbert Remulla, of Cavite province, said military intelligence chief Colonel Victor Corpus should resign because of the "continuing breakdown of intelligence" in the Armed Forces.
"How can we have a decent intelligence capability when we have an intelligence chief who is more concerned with politics than with averting terrorist attacks such as the Zamboanga bombings?" he said.
(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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