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//The Independent, UK--ROBERT FISK: BIN LADEN IS ALIVE (So why now?…Bin Laden must have realised the need to address once more the Arab world - and his audiotape, despite the direct threats to Britain and other Western countries, is primarily directed towards his most important audience, Arab Muslims. His silence at this moment in Middle East history would have been inexcusable in Bin Laden's eyes… The message to us - the West - is simple and repeated three times. If we want to back George Bush, the "pharaoh of the age" - and "pharaoh" is what Anwar Sadat's killers called the Egyptian president after his murder more than two decades ago - we will pay a price. "What business do your governments have in allying themselves with the gang of criminals in the White House against Muslims...?" I have heard Bin Laden use that Arabic expression ifarbatu al-idjran twice before in conversation with me. "Gang of criminals".)
2//TurkishPress.com,
USA--PRESS SCAN: CIA DELEGATION PROCEEDS TO NORTHERN IRAQ (The delegation
that will hold contacts at the Incirlik Air Base and Northern Iraq is
expected to leave Turkey on Friday… Iraq issue and fight against terrorism
were discussed in detail at yesterday's meeting between the National Intelligence
Organization (MIT) officials and CIA delegation. At those meetings, the
Turkish side expressed its concerns to CIA delegation about the Peshmargas
that the United States had sent to Northern Iraq via Syria and Jordan
some time ago and warned that use of Peshmargas during a possible military
operation against Iraq might cause developments that might endanger Turkey's
territorial integrity in the future.)
3//The Moscow Times, Russia--SENATORS APPROVE MEDIA BILLS (The Federation
Council on Wednesday swiftly passed controversial amendments to the laws
on mass media and on terrorism that restrict media coverage of crises…The
amendments, which were originally seen as a technicality, acquired new
meaning after the Moscow hostage crisis, when security services and politicians
lashed out at the media for their coverage. They ban the use of mass media
for "propaganda of justification" of terrorism and extremism,
including reporting statements from people opposed to counterterrorism
operations. They could also be used against media that analyze the government's
handling of a crisis after it has been resolved.)
4//Jane's Intelligence Digest, UK--PUTIN PLANS CIS MILITARY BLOC (The
CIS Collective Security Treaty (CIS CST) signed in Tashkent in 1992 is
receiving a face lift. Russian President Vladimir Putin is urgently exerting
pressure on his Russophile allies to transform the CIS CST into a military
alliance modelled on the former Warsaw pact, rather than the mere piece
of paper which has existed.)
5//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--PRIVATIZATION DRIVE TO CUT PUBLIC DEBT, SAYS
AL-ASSAF (Saudi Arabia's plan to privatize 20 vital sectors will help
reduce pressure on the state budget and pay off the government's huge
public debt, Minister of Finance and National Economy Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf
said yesterday…On privatization of oil refineries set up with the support
foreign companies, he said it needs approval of those firms.)
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1//The
Independent 14 November 2002 16:22 GMT
http://argument.independent.co.uk/commentators/story.jsp?story=351901
ARGUMENT
ROBERT FISK: BIN LADEN IS ALIVE
There can be no doubt about it. But the questions remain: where on earth
is he, and why has he resurfaced now?
(SNIP)
So why now? The Middle East is entering a new and ever more tragic phase of its history, torn apart by the war between Israelis and Palestinians and facing the incendiary effects of a possible Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. Bin Laden must have realised the need to address once more the Arab world - and his audiotape, despite the direct threats to Britain and other Western countries, is primarily directed towards his most important audience, Arab Muslims. His silence at this moment in Middle East history would have been inexcusable in Bin Laden's eyes.
And just to counter the predictable counter-claims that his tape could be old, he energetically listed the blows struck at Western powers since his presumed "death". The bombings of French submarine technicians in Karachi, the synagogue in Tunisia, Bali, the Chechen theatre siege in Moscow, even the killing of the US diplomat in Jordan. Yes, he is saying, I know about all these things. He is saying he approves. He is telling us he is still here. Arabs may deplore this violence, but few will not feel some pull of emotions. Amid Israel's brutality towards Palestinians and America's threats towards Iraq, at least one Arab is prepared to hit back. That is his message to Arabs.
Bin Laden always loathed Saddam Hussein. He hated the Iraqi leader's un-Islamic behaviour, his secularism, his use of religion to encourage loyalty to a Baath party that was co-founded by a Christian. America's attempt to link al-Qa'ida to the Baghdad regime has always been one of the most preposterous of Washington's claims. Bin Laden used to tell me how much he hated Saddam. So his two references to "the sons of Iraq" are intriguing. He makes no mention of the Baghdad government or of Saddam. But with UN sanctions still killing thousands of children - and with Iraq the target of a probable American invasion - he cannot possibly ignore it. So he talks about "Iraq's children" and about "our sons in Iraq", indicating Arab Muslim men who happened to be Iraqi, rather than Iraqis. But not Saddam. It's not difficult to see how the US administration may try to use these two references to make another false link between Baghdad and al-Qa'ida, but Bin Laden - who is intelligent enough to be able to predict this - clearly felt that an expression of sympathy for the Arabs of Iraq outweighed any misuse Washington could make of his remarks. This has to come under the label of speculation (although near certainty might be nearer the mark).
Back in 1996, Bin Laden told me that British and French troops in Saudi Arabia were as at risk of being attacked by his followers as American forces. In 1997, he changed this target list. The British and French he now dissociated from any proposed attacks. But in the new audiotape, they are back on the hit list along with France, Canada, Italy, Germany and Australia. And Britain is at the top.
The message to us - the West - is simple and repeated three times. If we want to back George Bush, the "pharaoh of the age" - and "pharaoh" is what Anwar Sadat's killers called the Egyptian president after his murder more than two decades ago - we will pay a price. "What business do your governments have in allying themselves with the gang of criminals in the White House against Muslims...?" I have heard Bin Laden use that Arabic expression ifarbatu al-idjran twice before in conversation with me. "Gang of criminals". Which is what the West has called "al-Qa'ida".
So what comes next? A few weeks ago, I was asked by a member of an American university audience where I thought the next blow would come. The two words I thought of were "oil tanker". This came under the label "total speculation". But I didn't want to give anyone any ideas. So I said nothing. The following week, al-Qa'ida struck the supertanker Limburg off Yemen. Now I search my mind for worse thoughts. And I prefer to end my story.
2//TurkishPress.com Thursday, November 14, 2002
http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=7775
PRESS
SCAN: From HURRIYET (LIBERAL)
CIA DELEGATION PROCEEDS TO NORTHERN IRAQ
A 25-member delegation headed by CIA Vice President John E. Mclaughin left Ankara after wrapping up its visits yesterday.
(SNIP)
Later, CIA delegation proceeded to southern province of Adana with a military plane. The delegation that will hold contacts at the Incirlik Air Base and Northern Iraq is expected to leave Turkey on Friday. Iraq issue and fight against terrorism were discussed in detail at yesterday's meeting between the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) officials and CIA delegation. At those meetings, the Turkish side expressed its concerns to CIA delegation about the Peshmargas that the United States had sent to Northern Iraq via Syria and Jordan some time ago and warned that use of Peshmargas during a possible military operation against Iraq might cause developments that might endanger Turkey's territorial integrity in the future.
3//The Moscow Times Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002. Page 3
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/11/14/012.html
SENATORS
APPROVE MEDIA BILLS
By Andrei Zolotov Jr., Staff Writer
The Federation Council on Wednesday swiftly passed controversial amendments
to the laws on mass media and on terrorism that restrict media coverage
of crises. Some journalists said they will appeal for President Vladimir
Putin to reject the amendments, saying they could be used to silence all
media reporting on terrorism or the war in Chechnya.
"The entire media community is under threat," Ekho Moskvy editor Alexei Venediktov said.
The amendments, which were originally seen as a technicality, acquired new meaning after the Moscow hostage crisis, when security services and politicians lashed out at the media for their coverage. They ban the use of mass media for "propaganda of justification" of terrorism and extremism, including reporting statements from people opposed to counterterrorism operations. They could also be used against media that analyze the government's handling of a crisis after it has been resolved.
Only one senator voted against the amendments and two abstained, Interfax reported. Last week, the bill passed the State Duma by a narrow margin.
Although the media community has realized the necessity to regulate its crisis policies, internal discord has prevented it from offering an alternative to the government's measures.
"The law is filling a vacuum that was created by the media themselves," Press Minister Mikhail Lesin said Wednesday at a round table.
(MORE)
4//Jane's Intelligence Digest 14 November 2002
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid021114_1_n.shtml
PUTIN
PLANS CIS MILITARY BLOC
(Non-subscriber extract)
The CIS Collective Security Treaty (CIS CST) signed in Tashkent in 1992 is receiving a face lift. Russian President Vladimir Putin is urgently exerting pressure on his Russophile allies to transform the CIS CST into a military alliance modelled on the former Warsaw pact, rather than the mere piece of paper which has existed.
The first step in this direction was the re-naming of the CIS CST as the CIS Collective Security Organisation (CIS CSO) in May.
The 12 states of the CIS have long been divided into two groups. Led by Russia, the Russophile group consists of Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and the de facto Russian protectorate of Tajikistan. All six states favour close CIS integration in the economic, political and security spheres and therefore are members of the CIS CSO and the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC).
Both the CIS CSO and the EEC are Putin's still weak alternatives to NATO and the EU respectively. This month NATO is set to incorporate the three Baltic states who never joined the CIS. Of the CIS states only Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan have expressed an interest in joining NATO. Of these Ukraine is the most likely candidate in five to 10 years and after President Leonid Kuchma, who is persona non grata at NATO, retires from office in 2004. Georgia and Azerbaijan are unlikely NATO candidates because large proportions of their territories are occupied by separatist forces covertly supported by neighbouring states and Russia.
(SNIP)
Ukraine's powerful elites are under intense pressure by Putin to join the EEC, but are not considering either of the two other structures. JID sources predict that as relations will continue to sour with NATO and the US, Ukraine - which is not one of the 12 states set to join the EU between 2004-2007 - will most likely join the EEC in the next two years as Kuchma serves out his term of office.
(MORE)
5//Arab
News 14 November 2002 / 9 Ramadhan 1423
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=20361
PRIVATIZATION
DRIVE TO CUT PUBLIC DEBT, SAYS AL-ASSAF
By Mutlak Al-Baqami, Arab News Staff
RIYADH,
14 November 2002 - Saudi Arabia's plan to privatize 20 vital sectors will
help reduce
pressure on the state budget and pay off the government's huge public
debt, Minister of Finance and National Economy Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf said
yesterday.
"It will reduce pressure on the government. The private sector will provide services previously offered by the state. This will (positively) affect public spending," Al-Assaf said.
The minister's comments followed Monday's Cabinet announcement that the Kingdom will open up 20 vital economic sectors for privatization, a step expected to generate tens of billions of dollars.
The Saudi budget is faced with a chronic deficit. In the past two decades it has only once finished in the black: in 2000 due to high oil prices.
The minister said that revenues generated from the sell-off plan will be used to pay for the entirely domestic debt, which reached a staggering SR675 billion at the end of last year.
According to the plan, state utilities and public services, including certain health, municipal and social services will be privatized. Government stakes in Saudi shareholding companies, including Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), Saudi Electricity Co. and banks will also be sold off. It opens up telecommunications, water desalination, air transport, airport services, construction and management of highways, seaport services and local oil refineries to the private sector.
Al-Assaf stressed that the door was open for foreign investors in all sectors not included in the "negative list", which contains activities closed to foreign investments.
(SNIP)
Asked whether privatization would increase the burden on citizens, in terms of service charges, Al-Assaf said: "The privatization strategy insists that its burden should not fall on citizens." He said regulatory bodies will be set up to monitor prices and quality of services.
On privatization of oil refineries set up with the support foreign companies, he said it needs approval of those firms.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi told Okaz newspaper that serious studies are under way to privatize some hospitals.
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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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