current

WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR OCTOBER 18, 2006

1//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--KINGDOM REJECTS DIVISION OF IRAQ ON ETHNIC LINES (Saudi Arabia yesterday opposed plans to divide Iraq into autonomous regions on ethnic and sectarian grounds. The Council of Ministers said the Kingdom would side with Iraqi patriotic forces that work for the country’s unity. The Iraqi Parliament has approved the law but the country’s Sunnis opposed it saying it would lead to the creation of sectarian mini-states. “The Kingdom will stand with all patriotic forces that work for Iraq’s unity,” said the Cabinet in a statement issued after the weekly meeting chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Monday night. “The Cabinet hopes that the leaders of Iraq and its wise men and Islamic scholars would uphold their duty of standing against attempts to partition the country under whatever guise,” the statement said. The Cabinet statement comes two days before a meeting of Iraqi religious leaders arranged by the Organization of the Islamic Conference [OIC] in Makkah.)

2//The Toronto Star, Canada--CASH GLITCH DELAYS AFGHAN WORK: GENERAL (Canada's military says it isn't to blame for the lack of major reconstruction work in the Kandahar area, citing instead a federal agency's failure to deliver promised cash. Brig.-Gen. Al Howard told a Senate committee yesterday that the provincial reconstruction team is ready to proceed with several projects but can't because it's still waiting for the Canadian International Development Agency to deliver the cash. "There are a few funding glitches," he said. "There are a number of projects where we are just waiting to get additional money." That delay in getting redevelopment projects off the ground is putting the lives of Canadian soldiers at risk as they struggle to contain a swelling insurgency in southern Afghanistan, said Senator Colin Kenny, who chairs the Senate committee on national security and defence. … . But Howard's revelation about funding tie-ups seemed to catch senators by surprise. And it seemed to confirm their own suspicions — delivered earlier this month — that little reconstruction is underway in the Kandahar region. "The troops have been there for how long and we're waiting for funding from CIDA still? This is what we don't understand. Why are we waiting?" Kenny said.)

3//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--U.S. TAKES ISSUE WITH INTER-KOREAN PROJECTS(U.S. officials have become more forthright about Seoul’s engagement policy with Pyongyang. Washington’s chief negotiator in six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program Christopher Hill said during a visit to Seoul on Tuesday that package tours to Mt. Kumgang seem “to be designed to give money to the North Korean authorities.” … . However, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told reporters on the day that there was no problem with the two projects. Ban said all products manufactured in the industrial park won approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce. As for the package tours, he admitted there was the question for what purposes the profits are being used, but added the UN Security Council resolution against the North does not take issue with cash going into the North if it is earned via legitimate commercial transactions. Asked whether the UNSC will deem North Korean leader Kim Jong-il involved in spreading weapons of mass destruction, freeze his overseas assets and deport relatives who live abroad, Ban answered there needs to be evidence for the UNSC to do that, and it will not be easy for it to do so.)

4//MosNews, Russia--RUSSIA DEMANDS U.S. LIFT SANCTIONS AGAINST ARMS EXPORTER AND AIRCRAFT MAKER (On Monday, Oct Russia demanded that the United States lift sanctions against two Russian companies accused of. 16, making deals with Iran involving sensitive technology. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin hinted that a U.S. refusal could affect negotiations on UN sanctions resolution against Tehran. Churkin said the sanctions against state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and top aircraft maker Sukhoi for allegedly violating a U.S. law known as the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, create a “predicament” for Moscow. … . U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Churkin had not spoken to him about lifting U.S. sanctions against the two Russian companies. “We are going to be moving this week on the Iran sanctions question and I suppose I’ll hear it at that point,” he said. Churkin softened his stance somewhat when asked if Russia would block an Iran sanctions resolution if U.S. sanctions against the two companies weren’t lifted. “I don’t want to make any strong statements to that effect,” he said, quoted by Reuters. Churkin also signaled that Moscow is in no hurry to adopt a resolution against Iran.)

5//The Independent, UK--ROYAL TAKES ON RIVALS IN FIRST FRENCH TV DEBATE (French politics took on an American tinge last night when the three candidates for the Socialist party "nomination" for next year's presidential elections appeared in a live television debate. The 100-minute stylised confrontation between Ségolène Royal, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Laurent Fabius, was the first of its kind in French political history. Mme Royal, the favourite to capture the Socialist "nomination" when party members vote on 16 November, looked nervous and over-rehearsed at first but her performance became more assured as the night went on. … . She straddled a number of positions, from Blairist can-do pragmatist to mildly Eurosceptic populist. Nothing in a mostly dull debate seemed likely to challenge the president of the Poitou-Charente Region's 39 percentage point lead amongst Socialist voters in the most recent polls.)

*****************************************************************************************************

1//Arab News, Saudi Arabia Wednesday, 18, October, 2006 (26, Ramadhan, 1427)
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=88380&d=18&m=10&y=2006

KINGDOM REJECTS DIVISION OF IRAQ ON ETHNIC LINES

P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

JEDDAH, 18 October 2006 — Saudi Arabia yesterday opposed plans to divide Iraq into autonomous regions on ethnic and sectarian grounds. The Council of Ministers said the Kingdom would side with Iraqi patriotic forces that work for the country’s unity.

The Iraqi Parliament has approved the law but the country’s Sunnis opposed it saying it would lead to the creation of sectarian mini-states.

“The Kingdom will stand with all patriotic forces that work for Iraq’s unity,” said the Cabinet in a statement issued after the weekly meeting chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Monday night.

“The Cabinet hopes that the leaders of Iraq and its wise men and Islamic scholars would uphold their duty of standing against attempts to partition the country under whatever guise,” the statement said.

The Cabinet statement comes two days before a meeting of Iraqi religious leaders arranged by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Makkah.

The Oct. 19-20 meeting will bring together Sunni and Shiite scholars to adopt a reconciliation document calling for ending the bloodshed in Iraq.

Preparatory meetings to formulate the Makkah Charter were held Oct. 7 and 8 at the headquarters of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy in Jeddah. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the OIC, chaired the meeting.

Last Saturday, King Abdullah received prominent Sunni and Shiite scholars at his palace and urged them to be calm and patient. The Iraqi delegation that met the king included Harith Al-Dhari, who leads the influential Association of Muslim Scholars.

(MORE)

2//The Toronto Star, Canada Oct. 17, 2006. 05:45 AM

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161035409903&call_pageid=968332188492

CASH GLITCH DELAYS AFGHAN WORK: GENERAL

Bruce Campion-Smith, Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA—Canada's military says it isn't to blame for the lack of major reconstruction work in the Kandahar area, citing instead a federal agency's failure to deliver promised cash.

Brig.-Gen. Al Howard told a Senate committee yesterday that the provincial reconstruction team is ready to proceed with several projects but can't because it's still waiting for the Canadian International Development Agency to deliver the cash.

"There are a few funding glitches," he said. "There are a number of projects where we are just waiting to get additional money."

That delay in getting redevelopment projects off the ground is putting the lives of Canadian soldiers at risk as they struggle to contain a swelling insurgency in southern Afghanistan, said Senator Colin Kenny, who chairs the Senate committee on national security and defence.

Ottawa is pumping $100 million in development aid into Afghanistan each year, with $10 million of that earmarked for the troubled Kandahar region. That aid, meant to fund community projects and rebuild infrastructure, is seen as a key part of Canada's effort to defuse the insurgency and bring a lasting peace to Afghanistan.

"I don't think many people believe we can win the hearts and minds through military action alone," Senator Michael Meighen said.

But Howard's revelation about funding tie-ups seemed to catch senators by surprise. And it seemed to confirm their own suspicions — delivered earlier this month — that little reconstruction is underway in the Kandahar region.

"The troops have been there for how long and we're waiting for funding from CIDA still? This is what we don't understand. Why are we waiting?" Kenny said.

Meighen asked where the choke point for funding was. "I think you would have to ask CIDA," Howard pointedly replied.

"Certainly around town there is an understanding that there's a requirement and we're working hard at the national level amongst the various departments to bring this through," added Howard, a top operations officer at defence headquarters.

Howard said the military has been using its own cash — $1.9 million a year — to kick-start development projects. That includes building roads, buying equipment for local fire stations and in one case, helping a retailer repair his shop after it was damaged by a roadside bomb.

(MORE)

3//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea Updated Oct.18,2006 08:46 KST

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200610/200610180017.html

U.S. TAKES ISSUE WITH INTER-KOREAN PROJECTS

U.S. officials have become more forthright about Seoul’s engagement policy with Pyongyang. Washington’s chief negotiator in six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program Christopher Hill said during a visit to Seoul on Tuesday that package tours to Mt. Kumgang seem “to be designed to give money to the North Korean authorities.” He said the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex “is designed to make a long-term investment in human capital” while the Mt.Kumgang project “seems to be designed to give money to the North Korean authorities. So I have my view that they are very two different kind of projects," he said. "So I understand Kaesong in the context of a reform element. With the other project, I don't understand it as much.”

Hill stressed his remarks were his “personal views,” but considering that his visit to Seoul came to coordinate opinions before the planned visit by U.S. State Secretary Condoleezza Rice to South Korea on Thursday, they seem to reflect Washington's official position.

(SNIP)

However, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told reporters on the day that there was no problem with the two projects. Ban said all products manufactured in the industrial park won approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce. As for the package tours, he admitted there was the question for what purposes the profits are being used, but added the UN Security Council resolution against the North does not take issue with cash going into the North if it is earned via legitimate commercial transactions. Asked whether the UNSC will deem North Korean leader Kim Jong-il involved in spreading weapons of mass destruction, freeze his overseas assets and deport relatives who live abroad, Ban answered there needs to be evidence for the UNSC to do that, and it will not be easy for it to do so.

4//MosNews, Russia Created: 17.10.2006 11:12 MSK (GMT +3)

http://www.mosnews.com/money/2006/10/17/russiasanctions.shtml

RUSSIA DEMANDS U.S. LIFT SANCTIONS AGAINST ARMS EXPORTER AND AIRCRAFT MAKER

On Monday, Oct Russia demanded that the United States lift sanctions against two Russian companies accused of. 16, making deals with Iran involving sensitive technology. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin hinted that a U.S. refusal could affect negotiations on UN sanctions resolution against Tehran.

Churkin said the sanctions against state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and top aircraft maker Sukhoi for allegedly violating a U.S. law known as the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000, create a “predicament” for Moscow.

If Russia is asked to vote on a Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment at the same time that Russian companies are subject to U.S. sanctions, it would be voting on a measure “which at least by implication supports sanctions which have already been imposed on us,” he said.

“So it is a somewhat ridiculous, bizarre political predicament,” Churkin said. “The other side of it is that we don’t know why those sanctions were imposed on the two organizations back in Russia.”

Churkin said Russia wants the sanctions lifted off the two companies, whether or not UN sanctions are leveled against Iran. He made his comments as France, Britain and Germany were consulting on elements for a UN sanctions resolution against Iran.

(SNIP)

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Churkin had not spoken to him about lifting U.S. sanctions against the two Russian companies. “We are going to be moving this week on the Iran sanctions question and I suppose I’ll hear it at that point,” he said.

Churkin softened his stance somewhat when asked if Russia would block an Iran sanctions resolution if U.S. sanctions against the two companies weren’t lifted.

“I don’t want to make any strong statements to that effect,” he said, quoted by Reuters.

Churkin also signaled that Moscow is in no hurry to adopt a resolution against Iran.

5//The Independent, UK Published: 18 October 2006

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article1886663.ece

ROYAL TAKES ON RIVALS IN FIRST FRENCH TV DEBATE

By John Lichfield in Paris

French politics took on an American tinge last night when the three candidates for the Socialist party "nomination" for next year's presidential elections appeared in a live television debate.

The 100-minute stylised confrontation between Ségolène Royal, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Laurent Fabius, was the first of its kind in French political history.

Mme Royal, the favourite to capture the Socialist "nomination" when party members vote on 16 November, looked nervous and over-rehearsed at first but her performance became more assured as the night went on.

She promised to bring "order" and "fairness" to the French economy, repeatedly praising the success of the Scandinavian countries in retraining their work force and investing in environmental industries.

She straddled a number of positions, from Blairist can-do pragmatist to mildly Eurosceptic populist. Nothing in a mostly dull debate seemed likely to challenge the president of the Poitou-Charente Region's 39 percentage point lead amongst Socialist voters in the most recent polls.

(SNIP)

There will be two other live Socialist TV debates; on "society and the environment" next Tuesday, and "Europe and foreign affairs" on 7 November.

Contact: grl8@cornell.edu