August 25, 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 AUGUST 25, 2004

1//The Jordan Times, Jordan--'RESISTANCE ORGANISING, RESTRAINS ZARGAWI' (The resistance to US and foreign troops in Iraq is becoming unified and now controls 70 per cent of attacks, one of its leaders told AFP, adding that extremist Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi had been given an ultimatum for violating its ideology. "There is one leadership comprising Iraqis and other Arab nationals which heads 70 per cent of the operations being carried out in Iraq against the Americans and those who cooperate with them," said the source, who had close ties to Al Qaeda leader Osama Ben Laden up until three years ago...The source said that the resistance recently decided that "most" of its operations will be carried out on "highways," away from residential areas to avoid killing innocent civilians. "Most of the attacks will now take place on the highway that cuts Iraq from north to south," he said. The resistance also uses more frequently "funnel-shaped bombs" which enables 90 per cent impact to reach its targets, "therefore limiting any collateral damage," he said.)

2//The Guardian, UK--PAKISTAN BACKS KARZAI WITH TERROR RAIDS (These days Gen Musharraf's promises carry extra weight, following a six-week drive against al-Qaida in Pakistan. From the back-streets of Karachi to the tribal highlands, his security services have prosecuted an unrelenting campaign against Osama bin Laden's network... In the past week suspected hideouts have been bombed in the mountains and forests of South Waziristan, where militants are sheltering under the protection of tribesmen. There is also frequent speculation that Bin Laden or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, are hiding in the same area...In response, al-Qaida has transformed its tactics. Having long considered Pakistan as a rear base, it has now turned its sights on the violent overthrow of the Pakistani state. In the past year suicide bombers have nearly succeeded in killing Gen Musharraf, an army commander, and Shaukat Aziz, due to be appointed prime minister this week. Last weekend the security services claimed they had foiled a plot to blow up the national convention centre, Gen Musharraf's house and the US embassy.)

3//The News International, Pakistan--JOINT PLAN TO ATTACK AFGHAN POLLING STATIONS (Five militant groups of Afghanistan, including Taliban, have adopted a joint strategy to disrupt the presidential elections scheduled for October 9 by attacking polling stations across the country. Maulvi Muhammad Ishaq Manzoor, Supreme Military Commander of Jamiat Jaishal Muslemeen (JJM), a newly formed outfit operating mainly in the southern and eastern Afghanistan, announced this decision on behalf of all the five groups.)

4//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--SEOUL TO COORDINATE DIFFERENCES AMONG PARTIES IN THE SIX-WAY TALKS (With North Korea's nuclear tension in a 22-month impasse, Seoul is seeking to take on a more active role to resolve the issue. A high-ranking Seoul official has set out for a round of calls to China, Japan, Russia and the United States members of the six-party forum, to coordinate differences amid large gaps in positions between Washington and Pyongyang...Two weeks ago Pyongyang ruled out attending working-level talks slated for later this month and went on to question the entire negotiating process, blaming Washington's hostile policy. Against this backdrop the South Korean government is moving quickly to break the deadlock. Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck embarked on a trip to China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia with a coordinated proposal in hand, which reflects both Washington and Pyongyang's stance.)

5//The Independent, UK--UNREPENTANT BLAIR READY TO FACE DOWN PARTY REBELS (As the Prime Minister returns from his month-long summer break in Barbados, Italy and Greece, he is being urged by some advisers to "rebuild bridges" with the party by avoiding more controversial reforms in the run-up to the general election pencilled in for May. Those allies say the move would help to heal the wounds left by the Iraq war. "We have got to reach out to the party so that we go into the election as a united force," one said. But Mr Blair is expected to use his speech to Labour's annual conference next month to map out a strong "forward agenda" to show that the Government has not run out of steam. It will be based on the five-year plans for health, education, crime and transport published this summer, which will be followed by similar blueprints for other Whitehall departments this autumn.)

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1//The Jordan Times, Jordan Wednesday, August 25, 2004
http://www.jordantimes.com/wed/news/news7.htm

'RESISTANCE ORGANISING, RESTRAINS ZARGAWI'

AMMAN (AFP) - The resistance to US and foreign troops in Iraq is becoming unified and now controls 70 per cent of attacks, one of its leaders told AFP, adding that extremist Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi had been given an ultimatum for violating its ideology.

"There is one leadership comprising Iraqis and other Arab nationals which heads 70 per cent of the operations being carried out in Iraq against the Americans and those who cooperate with them," said the source, who had close ties to Al Qaeda leader Osama Ben Laden up until three years ago.

The Iraq-based source, who declined to be identified and met an AFP correspondent in an Arab country outside Iraq, said "Zarqawi was given an ultimatum by the leadership of the resistance.

"They threatened to quash him by force" after he repeatedly violated Islamic ideology, and "the leadership of the resistance banned Zarqawi from publishing communiques and from violating [its rules]," he said.

He claimed that the beheading of US hostage Nicholas Berg attributed to Zarqawi in May had not been welcomed by the resistance leadership.

(SNIP)

"Our religion does not tolerate killing for the sake of killing. There must be proof of involvement" in pro-US activity, he said.

Killing Iraqi policemen or national guards "is legitimate because they are servile agents in the pay of the Americans and responsible for the death of hundreds of Iraqis," he said.

(SNIP)

AFP's source said followers of Saddam "represent only 15 per cent of the resistance" and are led by Ezzat Ibrahim Al Duri, former number two in the regime's ruling Revolutionary Command Council who is still on the run.

"They are very useful to the resistance, particularly Saddam's former intelligence officials who supply precious information on places and people," he said.

The leadership comprises "Iraqis who lived in exile during Saddam's reign but who are opposed to the US invasion of their country" as well as Arabs who want to help them "fight the American devil," the source said.

The resistance itself counts in its ranks "Sunni and Shiite" fighters, who "coordinate and cooperate" with each other, including in Najaf, where militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr are fighting US and Iraqi government forces, although they each have their own autonomy, he said. He also charged that Saudi "resistance fighters" are part of the resistance, which he said is financed by "wealthy Iraqis but mostly from Saudi nationals."

The source said that the resistance recently decided that "most" of its operations will be carried out on "highways," away from residential areas to avoid killing innocent civilians. "Most of the attacks will now take place on the highway that cuts Iraq from north to south," he said.

The resistance also uses more frequently "funnel-shaped bombs" which enables 90 per cent impact to reach its targets, "therefore limiting any collateral damage," he said.

2//The Guardian, UK Wednesday, August 25, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,2763,1290280,00.html

PAKISTAN BACKS KARZAI WITH TERROR RAIDS
Visiting Afghan leader is assured that Islamabad will not allow militants to disrupt Kabul's elections

Declan Walsh in Islamabad

There was only one message on the banners and posters dotted around Islamabad's streets as the motorcade whizzed past amid tight security: "Pakistan welcomes Hamid Karzai". But the warm greeting belied the sensitivity of the moment for the interim Afghan leader and his host, President Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Karzai is worried about Taliban insurgents, who are threatening to upset next month's presidential elections. Many are thought to use Pakistan as a base. General Musharraf offered his unqualified help. "Anybody trying to disrupt the election process ... will not be allowed from Pakistan. We will act against them," he vowed.

These days Gen Musharraf's promises carry extra weight, following a six-week drive against al-Qaida in Pakistan. From the back-streets of Karachi to the tribal highlands, his security services have prosecuted an unrelenting campaign against Osama bin Laden's network.

Hardly a day passes without the announcement of fresh arrests, foiled bomb plots, or military operations along the Afghan border. So far the security services - invigorated by a wave of suicide attacks on government and army figures - have detained over 70 suspected militants. They include Ahmad Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted in connection with the 1998 US embassy bombings in east Africa, and Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan, a Pakistani computer expert whose plans for new attacks sparked alerts in London, New York and New Jersey.

Britain and the US are delighted with the sweep, which has burnished Gen Musharraf's standing as a central strategic ally. But they also admit that beneath the successes of the Pakistani army lies an underbelly rooted in its long-standing links with Islamic extremism. Many of the suspects being rounded up were originally recruited by the ISI, the army's intelligence service, to fight in Kashmir or Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s. Now cut adrift from Pakistan, many have found a calling in al-Qaida. It is unclear whether some of their handlers have gone with them. "It's great having a savage dog that attacks other people," said a diplomat, "but not if it turns on you."

In the past week suspected hideouts have been bombed in the mountains and forests of South Waziristan, where militants are sheltering under the protection of tribesmen. There is also frequent speculation that Bin Laden or his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, are hiding in the same area.

Last week Gen Musharraf's government published a "wanted" poster for its six most wanted militants, offering rewards of up to $340,000 per head. The highest price was offered for Abu Faraj Farj, a Libyan, who is suspected to have coordinated much al-Qaida activity in Pakistan.

The hunt for suspects appears to have encouraged police brutality. Last week a radical cleric, Qari Noor Mohammed, died in custody after a raid on an Islamic school in Faisalabad. Police said Mr Mohammed suffered a heart attack; human rights activists said he had been tortured.

In response, al-Qaida has transformed its tactics. Having long considered Pakistan as a rear base, it has now turned its sights on the violent overthrow of the Pakistani state. In the past year suicide bombers have nearly succeeded in killing Gen Musharraf, an army commander, and Shaukat Aziz, due to be appointed prime minister this week. Last weekend the security services claimed they had foiled a plot to blow up the national convention centre, Gen Musharraf's house and the US embassy.

(MORE)

3//The News International, Pakistan Wednesday August 25, 2004-- Rajab 08, 1425 A.H.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2004-daily/25-08-2004/main/main6.htm

JOINT PLAN TO ATTACK AFGHAN POLLING STATIONS
By Hamid Mir

JALALABAD: Five militant groups of Afghanistan, including Taliban, have adopted a joint strategy to disrupt the presidential elections scheduled for October 9 by attacking polling stations across the country.

Maulvi Muhammad Ishaq Manzoor, Supreme Military Commander of Jamiat Jaishal Muslemeen (JJM), a newly formed outfit operating mainly in the southern and eastern Afghanistan, announced this decision on behalf of all the five groups.

Talking to Geo TV from the mountains close to Pak-Afghan border, Maulvi Ishaq disclosed that the JJM was led by former Afghan Jihad veteran Sayyed Muhammad Akbar Agha from Kandahar and some former Taliban leaders and this new outfit was closely collaborating not only with Taliban but also with Gulbaddin Hekmatyar, Maulana Jalaluddin Haqqani and commanders close to Maulvi Younas Khalis.

Maulvi Ishaq said he was one of the 90 Taliban fighters who started their first offensive against Gull Agha from Spin Boldik under the command of Mulla Muhammad Omar in 1994 and finally captured Kandahar.

He was appointed Inspector General of Police in Badges province by Mulla Omar but after the fall of the Taliban government he lost his contact with the Taliban leadership and formed another outfit with Sayyed Akbar Agha to resist the coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Sayyed Akbar Agha participated in the Afghan Jihad against the then USSR under the command of Maulvi Younas Khalis. He said that with the passage of time all the old Taliban commanders and fighters were getting in touch with each other and recently they had decided to adopt a joint strategy against the "fraud" presidential election in Afghanistan.

He said Gulbaddin Hekmatyar, Sayyed Akbar Agha and Jalaluddin Haqqani were in touch with each other and they were trying their best to organise their meeting with Mulla Muhammad Omar in near future.

(MORE)

4//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea Updated Aug.24,2004 13:45 KST
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200408/200408240011.html

SEOUL TO COORDINATE DIFFERENCES AMONG PARTIES IN THE SIX-WAY TALKS

With North Korea's nuclear tension in a 22-month impasse, Seoul is seeking to take on a more active role to resolve the issue.

A high-ranking Seoul official has set out for a round of calls to China, Japan, Russia and the United States members of the six-party forum, to coordinate differences amid large gaps in positions between Washington and Pyongyang.

The South Korean government is out to revive the stalled negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

The latest round of six-way talks held in Beijing last June between South and North Korea, the U.S, China, Russia and Japan ended without much progress with Pyongyang flatly rejecting Washington's so-called comprehensive proposal.

The United States is calling for North Korea to first freeze its nuclear program for a three-month period in return for a security guarantee and energy aid from the international community.

North Korea for its part contends that nuclear disarmament must coincide with the promised U.S. compensation.

Agendas aside, prospects of resuming the ongoing multilateral negotiation process are also murky.

Two weeks ago Pyongyang ruled out attending working-level talks slated for later this month and went on to question the entire negotiating process, blaming Washington's hostile policy.

Against this backdrop the South Korean government is moving quickly to break the deadlock.

Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Soo-hyuck embarked on a trip to China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia with a coordinated proposal in hand, which reflects both Washington and Pyongyang's stance.

(MORE)

5//The Independent, UK 25 August 2004
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=554805

UNREPENTANT BLAIR READY TO FACE DOWN PARTY REBELS
By Andrew Grice, Political Editor

Tony Blair is to deliver an uncompromising message to the Labour Party that he will extend his reform of public services and reject calls to slow the pace of modernisation.

As the Prime Minister returns from his month-long summer break in Barbados, Italy and Greece, he is being urged by some advisers to "rebuild bridges" with the party by avoiding more controversial reforms in the run-up to the general election pencilled in for May.

Those allies say the move would help to heal the wounds left by the Iraq war. "We have got to reach out to the party so that we go into the election as a united force," one said.

But Mr Blair is expected to use his speech to Labour's annual conference next month to map out a strong "forward agenda" to show that the Government has not run out of steam. It will be based on the five-year plans for health, education, crime and transport published this summer, which will be followed by similar blueprints for other Whitehall departments this autumn.

The strategy, called "five-year plans plus" by Labour strategists, will worry "consolidators" urging Mr Blair to woo his party critics. "He is not going to slow down on reform," one aide said yesterday.

The Prime Minister, who told Labour activists last month that he had "come through the fire", left for his holiday in a stronger than expected position after confounding speculation that he would stand down before the election. But a strong undercurrent of discontent in the party about his leadership remains and may surface at the Brighton conference.

Mr Blair has sought to avoid a head-on confrontation about Iraq by dropping plans to invite Iyad Allawi, the head of the interim Iraqi government, to address Labour delegates. Although Blair allies hope Labour will focus on the need to win an unprecedented third term, he will defend the decision to oust Saddam Hussein, and reject calls for him to promise there will be "no more Iraqs".

(MORE)