June 7, 2004

World Media Watch

by Gloria R. Lalumia

BUZZFLASH NOTE: WMW provides BuzzFlash readers foreign views and perspectives that are not usually available from the media here in the U.S. The presentation of these articles from these international publications is not an endorsement of their viewpoints.

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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR JUNE 7, 2004

1//The News International, Pakistan--IRAQ TO RESTORE DEATH PENALTY AFTER 30TH (Iraq is to restore the death penalty after the return of sovereignty later this month, in a measure which could affect ousted president Saddam Hussein, Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan said on Sunday…The justice minister, less than a week after his appointment, was adamant that Saddam deserved no less than the firing squad.)

2//The Independent, UK--BLAIR ADMITS EUROPE AND IRAQ WILL COST LABOUR VOTES (Tony Blair admitted yesterday that his decision to support President George Bush over Iraq will cost him votes in this week's elections and was a "problem" for the party. The Prime Minister, in an interview with Radio 4's The World This Weekend, sought to downplay expectations of an electoral breakthrough in the European, London and local elections on Thursday, and said Iraq was "always going to be difficult" for Labour…An ICM poll yesterday of 202 marginal constituencies found that Mr Blair could gain a 107 majority for a third term, down from 165 at the last election. But if Gordon Brown was leader Labour ratings would shoot up in marginal seats.)

3//The Japan Times, Japan--WILL KOIZUMI KEEP DISTANCE FROM BUSH AT G-8 SUMMIT? (Fresh off a high-profile diplomatic dash to North Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will be heading into next week's annual Group of Eight summit at Sea Island, Ga., with a stronger hand than usual. His popularity is on an upswing, and the nation's economy is sputtering back to life after a long slumber. But some analysts say he might want to keep a bit of distance between himself and U.S. President George W. Bush…"People are beginning to feel that America's Iraq policy was a failure, and that Koizumi made a great mistake by going along with it," said Jin Igarashi, a professor at Tokyo's Hosei University. "He should use the summit to make suggestions or present Japan's positions. But I fear he will just nod along with Bush.")

4//eTaiwanNews.com, Taiwan--TOKYO, SEOUL SHAPE MILITARY TO NEW THREATS (South Korea and Japan said yesterday they're realigning their militaries to face terror threats in Asia while Australia's defense minister said his country would help the United States "in any way" to maintain security in the region. The comments followed a speech by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who urged countries in the Asia-Pacific area to ratchet up maritime patrols and warned that terrorists could strike again. Masahiko Hori, director general of international affairs for Japan's Defense Agency, said Tokyo is considering "utilizing military power for a policing purpose" to protect inbound sea cargo from attack.)

5//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--AGILE US MILITARY OF FUTURE EYES NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN BASES (The United States is close to deciding whether to spend tens of millions of dollars establishing permanent joint training facilities in northern Australia for its military forces. The Defence Minister, Robert Hill, told the Herald yesterday that he expected a decision in principle next month on a plan that could bring thousands of American soldiers, marines and air force personnel to train at upgraded Australian bases…The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who met Senator Hill at the conference, said the US was streamlining the deployment of its forces around the world. "We don't want to be in a static defence mode," he said. "We want to be in a more agile arrangement.)

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1//The News International, Pakistan Monday June 07, 2004-- Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1425 A.H.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2004-daily/07-06-2004/main/main7.htm

IRAQ TO RESTORE DEATH PENALTY AFTER 30TH

BAGHDAD: Iraq is to restore the death penalty after the return of sovereignty later this month, in a measure which could affect ousted president Saddam Hussein, Justice Minister Malik Dohan al-Hassan said on Sunday.

"The death penalty is suspended in Iraq but with the return of sovereignty, nothing obliges us to maintain this suspension. We want to re-institute it for very specific cases," he told AFP. "Under Saddam Hussein, there were some 120 crimes punishable by death but we are going to narrow it down," the minister said.

The justice minister, less than a week after his appointment, was adamant that Saddam deserved no less than the firing squad.

(MORE)

2//The Independent, UK 07 June 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=529020

BLAIR ADMITS EUROPE AND IRAQ WILL COST LABOUR VOTES
By Marie Woolf

Tony Blair admitted yesterday that his decision to support President George Bush over Iraq will cost him votes in this week's elections and was a "problem" for the party.

The Prime Minister, in an interview with Radio 4's The World This Weekend, sought to downplay expectations of an electoral breakthrough in the European, London and local elections on Thursday, and said Iraq was "always going to be difficult" for Labour.

He acknowledged that voters felt disillusioned over his policy on Iraq and they may not turn out to vote. "Of course I accept that Iraq is a problem for us," he said. "The bulk of my time has been on the domestic agenda. I am not saying that Iraq is not important, of course it is."

Sources close to Mr Blair said that the anti-vote on Iraq and Europe was also likely to turn out in large numbers while Labour voters may decide not to turn out to vote.

An ICM poll yesterday of 202 marginal constituencies found that Mr Blair could gain a 107 majority for a third term, down from 165 at the last election. But if Gordon Brown was leader Labour ratings would shoot up in marginal seats.

(MORE)

3//The Japan Times, Japan June 5, 2004
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040605f2.htm

WILL KOIZUMI KEEP DISTANCE FROM BUSH AT G-8 SUMMIT?
By Eric Talmadge
The Associated Press

Fresh off a high-profile diplomatic dash to North Korea, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will be heading into next week's annual Group of Eight summit at Sea Island, Ga., with a stronger hand than usual.

His popularity is on an upswing, and the nation's economy is sputtering back to life after a long slumber.

But some analysts say he might want to keep a bit of distance between himself and U.S. President George W. Bush.

Cozying up to American presidents at G-8 summits has long been a major objective for Japanese leaders, who are quick to stress that the United States is Japan's biggest trading partner and a key military ally.

Japanese media often judge the success of the summit by analyzing the relative positions of the two leaders in the traditional group photo -- the closer the better.

But Koizumi might find himself in a somewhat more complex position this year.

Despite the presence of dissenters France and Germany at the June 8-10 summit, Koizumi is expected to stand by his decision to join Bush's "coalition of the willing" by sending hundreds of Japanese troops on a humanitarian mission to southern Iraq -- this country's biggest and most dangerous military operation since World War II.

But with insurgency-related violence in Iraq on the rise and the Liberal Democratic Party headed into a House of Councilors election in July, analysts say Koizumi's steadfast support of Bush is threatening to become a liability.

"People are beginning to feel that America's Iraq policy was a failure, and that Koizumi made a great mistake by going along with it," said Jin Igarashi, a professor at Tokyo's Hosei University. "He should use the summit to make suggestions or present Japan's positions. But I fear he will just nod along with Bush."

Many voters seem to agree.

(MORE)

4//eTaiwanNews.com, Taiwan 2004-06-06
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Asia/2004/06/06/1086492949.htm

TOKYO, SEOUL SHAPE MILITARY TO NEW THREATS
Associated Press

South Korea and Japan said yesterday they're realigning their militaries to face terror threats in Asia while Australia's defense minister said his country would help the United States "in any way" to maintain security in the region.

The comments followed a speech by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who urged countries in the Asia-Pacific area to ratchet up maritime patrols and warned that terrorists could strike again.

Masahiko Hori, director general of international affairs for Japan's Defense Agency, said Tokyo is considering "utilizing military power for a policing purpose" to protect inbound sea cargo from attack.

He declined to elaborate but said the new security concept would be in place by year's end.

Rumsfeld, speaking at a major security conference in Singapore, urged Southeast Asian countries to head off attacks by inspecting ships they suspect of transporting illicit cargo.

Maritime officials worry that extremists could use boats for suicide attacks on ports or on ships traveling in the vital Straits of Malacca, through which half the world's oil passes.

"Let there be no doubt, there is more (terror attacks) to come," Rumsfeld told more than 200 defense ministers, military officers, and security analysts from 21 countries at the third annual Shangri-La Dialogue.

"Because it (terrorism) cannot be appeased, it must be confronted on many fronts by all civil societies," he said.

(SNIP)

North Korea, which is suspected of developing nuclear weapons, was also identified as a threat. Washington worries that the impoverished communist regime could sell nuclear materials to terrorists.

"They have demonstrated a willingness to export anything," Rumsfeld said.

South Korea's Defense Minister Cho Young-kil said "overcoming the military imbalance between the two Koreas was critical," adding that Washington's recent decision to move nearly 4,000 troops from South Korea to Iraq has forced South Korea's army to modernize.

Cho said the Washington-Seoul alliance remains solid, and that the realignment wouldn't disrupt their ability to deal with threats from the North.

5//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia June 7, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/06/1086460175823.html

AGILE US MILITARY OF FUTURE EYES NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN BASES
New strategic plan may help spread the latest technology, Mark Baker writes from Singapore.

The United States is close to deciding whether to spend tens of millions of dollars establishing permanent joint training facilities in northern Australia for its military forces.

The Defence Minister, Robert Hill, told the Herald yesterday that he expected a decision in principle next month on a plan that could bring thousands of American soldiers, marines and air force personnel to train at upgraded Australian bases.

This would place the largest number of US troops on Australian soil since the Vietnam War, further underscoring the depth of the alliance with the US.

US forces would bring in the latest computer systems, which would vastly enhance the training capabilities of Australia's armed services.

Senator Hill, at a regional security conference in Singapore at the weekend, said he was optimistic a decision to proceed with the joint facilities would be made at next month's defence ministers' talks in Washington.

US military teams that have inspected military facilities across Australia are believed to favour bases in the Northern Territory and far north Queensland.

The plan is part of a global review of the deployment of US forces to reduce the number of personnel in fixed locations and develop more mobile and flexible capabilities.

The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who met Senator Hill at the conference, said the US was streamlining the deployment of its forces around the world. "We don't want to be in a static defence mode," he said. "We want to be in a more agile arrangement.

(MORE)