Full excerpts, links up now at
http://www.zianet.com/insightanalyticalTomorrow at Buzzflash.com
WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR MAY 17, 2004
1//Press Trust of India, India--BLAIR, BUSH PLAN TO VISIT BAGHDAD TO QUELL MOUNTING ANGER (British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush plan to make an unprecedented joint appearance in Baghdad in a "desperate" bid to quell mounting anger over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. They fear the scandal over the torture of captives by US and British troops is threatening to wreck the coalition mission and destabilise the Middle East, the British Sunday Mirror tabloid reported today. The report, however, did not spell out the date when the two leaders will make the trip.)
2//The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia--BRITISH MP TO PROSECUTE BLAIR FOR IRAQ ‘WAR CRIMES’ (Rebel MP George Galloway outlined plans to attempt to prosecute British Prime Minister Tony Blair and two leading government figures for war crimes.The politician said he would base the prosecution on legal guidelines set down both in the Criminal Justice Act and in the International Criminal Court…His party membership was suspended after he accused Mr Blair and US President George W Bush of invading the Middle East nation like "wolves".)
3//The Daily Star, Lebanon--FLUCTUATING CRUDE PRICES KEY SOURCE OF INSTABILITY (Fluctuating oil prices should not cause alarm, although they are a key source of global instability, participants in a round-table discussion of economic issues said Saturday at the World Economic Forum in Jordan…Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah bin Hamed al-Attiyah, who said the rising prices didn't reach 1981 levels, attributed the rise to "geopolitics and security fears."… Larson said US policy focused on promoting the "diversification and expansion of oil and gas supplies around the world. We see our interests advanced when countries in the Gulf expand and diversify production." He ruled out that the US was pressuring OPEC members to increase output…Attiyah agreed. "They never put pressure on us, believe me," he said. "They call us to talk, to give their opinion," he added drawing laughs from the audience.)
4//The Moscow Times, Russia--RICE, PUTIN SEEK WAY FORWARD IN IRAQ (U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice wrapped up her three-day visit to Moscow on Sunday saying she had fresh assurances of Russia's support for U.S. efforts to stabilize the situation in Iraq. But the two countries still remained at loggerheads over how much control the planned Iraqi caretaker government will have over security and other key issues…In a short interview aired on NTV television's "Namedni" program Sunday, Rice said the United States and Russia had a shared interest in preventing destabilization in Iraq. She offered a generally positive assessment of U.S.-Russian relations, but was noticeably short on details.)
5//The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippines--MILITARY COUNTS HEADS TO THWART POLL FRAUD (The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday admitted it was conducting a "head count" of all officers in the wake of reports that retired military officials were recruiting active members for a destabilization plot. "We're purposely looking for our men since we're on red alert," Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero, military information officer, said in Filipino. "We need 100-percent troop strength." This after retired police generals had reportedly joined their former comrades in the Armed Forces to recruit active police and military field commanders for a belated plot to cheat in the election count in favor of the opposition.)
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