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--UK UNPREPARED FOR TERROR, SAYS REPORT (Britain is massively unprepared for a catastrophic terrorist attack, a series of confidential Downing Street documents seen by The Independent on Sunday reveals. The documents disclose that the nation's civil defence "effectively no longer exists"…Senior Cabinet Office sources told The Independent on Sunday last week that they were frustrated by the contrast between the alacrity of ministers in clamping down on civil liberties after 11 September and their reluctance to take adequate measures to protect the public from attack.)
2//Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK--FIRED OFFICIALS DEFY KARZAI (President Hamed Karzai is currently locked in a battle of wills with a number of provincial officials who are refusing to leave their posts after he fired them last month. The president has refused to hear appeals from the sacked officials. But there are doubts over his ability to enforce his will outside Kabul, as local warlords and governors exercise complete control in most of Afghanistan's 32 provinces.)
3//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--MINISTRY RENEWS WARNING AGAINST FIERY SERMONS (The Islamic Affairs Ministry has reminded preachers not to use mosques as political platforms, saying that fiery sermons could negatively influence worshipers. The ministry has also revived a 20-year ban on unauthorized people preaching at mosques…Al-Netif refused to link the warning on mosque sermons to rising anti-American sentiment in the Kingdom…)
4//Asia
Times Online, Hong Kong--US, RUSSIA MARCHING ON CENTRAL ASIA (During a
brief stopover in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, on Wednesday, Russian President
Vladimir Putin endorsed Russian deployment of fighter jets, bombers and
other aircraft in that country. The move is obviously designed to reassert
Russia's military influence in a region where the United States has its
own semi-permanent military presence with bases in also in Kyrgyzstan
as well as Uzbekistan.)
5//The Moscow Times, Russia--CATHOLICS ON A LIST OF SECURITY THREATS (A
group of government officials and religion experts has drafted a report
that identifies the Roman Catholic Church and other "foreign confessions"
as potential threats to national security and urges law enforcement agencies
to closely monitor their activities…The draft, a copy of which was obtained
by The Moscow Times, says some "foreign confessions" have rapidly
expanded over the past decade and crowded out traditional Russian faiths
- namely, the Russian Orthodox Church, Judaism and Buddhism, the only
faiths to escape criticism in the report, which also attacks radical Islam.)
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1//The
Independent 8 December 2002 21:52 GMT
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=359509
UK
UNPREPARED FOR TERROR, SAYS REPORT
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Britain is massively unprepared for a catastrophic terrorist attack, a series of confidential Downing Street documents seen by The Independent on Sunday reveals.
The documents disclose that the nation's civil defence "effectively no longer exists", that the emergency services have "not attempted" to become fully prepared for the threat, and that legislation is so "anachronistic and ineffective" that the Government could not even declare a state of emergency.
The disclosures - much the most devastating official admission yet of Britain's vulnerability - closely follow last week's government announcement that it would stockpile enough smallpox vaccine to be able to vaccinate everyone in the country if necessary.
(SNIP)
The documents say that new legislation is urgently needed to "ensure civil protection" and that, without it, the lack of preparation will get even worse. But ministers are dragging their feet.
They failed to include a new Civil Contingencies Bill in the Government's legislative programme, announced in last month's Queen's Speech, and do not even plan to publish a draft of it until the spring.
Senior Cabinet Office sources told The Independent on Sunday last week that they were frustrated by the contrast between the alacrity of ministers in clamping down on civil liberties after 11 September and their reluctance to take adequate measures to protect the public from attack.
2//Institute for War and Peace Reporting 06-Dec-02
http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/arr/arr_200212_39_1_eng.txt
FIRED
OFFICIALS DEFY KARZAI
By Rahimullah Samander in Kabul (ARR No. 39, 06-Dec-02)
Rahimullah Samander is a reporter and editor for IWPR in Kabul.
Several provincial administrators dismissed by the president are refusing to go quietly.
President Hamed Karzai is currently locked in a battle of wills with a number of provincial officials who are refusing to leave their posts after he fired them last month.
The president has refused to hear appeals from the sacked officials. But there are doubts over his ability to enforce his will outside Kabul, as local warlords and governors exercise complete control in most of Afghanistan's 32 provinces.
The officials lost their jobs at the end of October, following an investigation by several ministries. They were accused of involvement in the smuggling of drugs and historic artifacts, embezzlement of customs duties, beatings, robberies and bribe-taking, as well failing to carry out basic duties and take orders from Kabul.
Among those who were dismissed are the mayor of Jalalabad; the heads of Nengarhar customs and Jalalabad agricultural departments; the chief of police in Logar; and the chiefs of Kandahar, Farah, and Balkh intelligence services.
However, none of the sacked administrators were from north-eastern Afghanistan, where Northern Alliance commanders have complete control.
(SNIP)
Four officials who lost their jobs in Nengarhar province, for example, are members and commanders of the Islamic Party of Hekmatyar. Nengarhar is a particularly important province, because it is a major crossing point to Pakistan.
(SNIP)
Engineer Ghaffar, the mayor of Nengarhar, is one of the officials who has consented to leave his post. However, he intends to visit Kabul shortly to protest against Karzai's decision.
(SNIP)
However, not all are preparing to accept Karzai's commands with grace. The governor of Logar province has already reinstated the former police chief Mohammad Tahir, according to locals.
And when the new director of education for the province tried to claim his post, the fired director waved a pistol at him and told him to stay away, according to a report in the Mashal-e-Democracy newspaper.
Locals in Mazar-e-Sharif say General Hameed, director of intelligence for Balkh province, is still in his job despite being fired by Karzai and can be seen in that role on local television every day.
(MORE)
3//Arab News 08 December 2002 / 3 Shawwal 1423
http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=20932
MINISTRY
RENEWS WARNING AGAINST FIERY SERMONS
By a Staff Writer
RIYADH, 9 December 2002 - The Islamic Affairs Ministry has reminded preachers not to use mosques as political platforms, saying that fiery sermons could negatively influence worshipers.
The ministry has also revived a 20-year ban on unauthorized people preaching at mosques, the Associated Press reported quoting Ibrahim Al-Netif, head of the department of mosque affairs at the ministry.
"We don't want mosques to become a platform for political speeches that could promote wrong ideas and provoke people's feelings," Al-Netif said yesterday. "We need sermons that teach people the principles of their religion."
Al-Netif refused to link the warning on mosque sermons to rising anti-American sentiment in the Kingdom, which has been sparked by unqualified American support for Israel, the US-led global war on terror and Washington's war plans for neighboring Iraq.
The Kingdom has come under criticism from US policy and media circles that it has not done enough to root out religious extremism.
(MORE)
4//Asia Times Online December 7, 2002
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/DL07Ag02.html
US,
RUSSIA MARCHING ON CENTRAL ASIA
By Sergei Blagov
MOSCOW - During a brief stopover in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin endorsed Russian deployment of fighter jets, bombers and other aircraft in that country. The move is obviously designed to reassert Russia's military influence in a region where the United States has its own semi-permanent military presence with bases in also in Kyrgyzstan as well as Uzbekistan.
On Wednesday, Putin told journalists in Bishkek that Russian air force deployment was very important and brought "a new quality" to security arrangements in the region. Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev urged Russia to become a "main strategic cornerstone of Central Asia".
Russian and Kyrgyz officials also signed the Bishkek Declaration, pledging closer security and economic ties. This agreement is not directed against third countries, Putin was quoted as saying. A deal to write off some $40 million of Kyrgyz debt to Moscow was also agreed to.
(SNIP)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov arrived in Kyrgyzstan on December 4 to inspect Kant base. He announced that the Russian task force was to provide the air power for a contingent of ground forces. Known as a rapid reaction force, this group could total more than 5,000 troops from Russia, as well as from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, members of an alliance of former Soviet republics known as the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Ivanov also dismissed rumors that Russian deployment would cost up to US$300 million a year.
(SNIP)
The US base, which was established in the aftermath of the September 11
terrorist attacks, is designed to provide air support for regional operations
by the anti-terrorism coalition in Afghanistan. Some 2,000 American personnel
now occupy Manas and up to 5,000 coalition soldiers are expected to be
based there eventually. Although this force could help Kyrgyz authorities
to deal with terrorist threats, coalition troops are unlikely to back
the government in disputes with the opposition.
The security deal between Moscow and Bishkek arguably indicates that the US has failed to provide sufficient support to the Akayev administration in terms of security needs and domestic political problems with the opposition. Therefore, Akayev is now increasingly depending on Russian backing, military, political and financial.
Russia and Kyrgyzstan have maintained close political and military ties, and Akayev has tended to support the Kremlin's policies in the region. In response, Moscow has backed Akayev's regime and warned against interference in Kyrgyz internal affairs.
However, Moscow carefully denied that the Russian deployment in Kyrgyzstan was anti-American. Nobody was going to push the Americans from Central Asia or try a strategic encirclement, the RIA commented. But now Russia, as well as China and India, realized that the Americans were unable to clear the region from terrorism, according to RIA. It was not impossible that Russian troops could eventually need to defend the Americans in the event of worst-case scenarios, the agency said.
As Putin traveled to China on December 1-3 and India on December 3-5, speculation re-surfaced about the three countries ganging up together to form a China-India-Russia "strategic triangle" to help balance the global dominance of the United States. However, Russian experts concede that such a triangle appeared unlikely to materialize since Russia, China and India were keen to strengthen good relations with Washington and they have backed the US war on terror.
5//The Moscow Times Monday, Dec. 9, 2002. Page 5
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/12/09/015.html
CATHOLICS
ON A LIST OF SECURITY THREATS
By Oksana Yablokova, Staff Writer
A group of government officials and religion experts has drafted a report that identifies the Roman Catholic Church and other "foreign confessions" as potential threats to national security and urges law enforcement agencies to closely monitor their activities.
The report, which is currently undergoing final touches, is an examination of the development of religious extremism and is not intended to provide the basis for a government order, said Nationalities Minister Vladimir Zorin, who is co-authoring the document with Chechen administration head Akhmad Kadyrov and 33 other officials.
The group's findings, however, provide an insight into the thought about religious issues in government circles.
A section of the draft report, titled "Assessment of Threats to National Security Related to Religious Extremism," contains a list topped by the Catholic Church. Protestants are ranked No. 2 - although no faiths are specified - and the list is rounded out by what the draft calls pseudo-religious organizations, including Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists and Satanists.
The draft, a copy of which was obtained by The Moscow Times, says some "foreign confessions" have rapidly expanded over the past decade and crowded out traditional Russian faiths - namely, the Russian Orthodox Church, Judaism and Buddhism, the only faiths to escape criticism in the report, which also attacks radical Islam.
(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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