Syrian 'Redeployment' Raises Questions/Lebanon--New World Media Watch

[Gloria]

Up now with links at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com



WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2004

1//The Guardian, UK--MURDOCH MAN TELLS OF DOUBTS ON BROWN (Gordon Brown's looming premiership will see taxes and public spending grow sharply as Tony Blair's restraining influence disappears and the new prime minister does more to redistribute wealth to the poorest, Rupert Murdoch's economic guru warns today. Irwin Stelzer, the US economist whom the media tycoon uses as both an adviser and an ambassador, gives a surprisingly ambiguous and waspish verdict on the chancellor's likely conduct once in No 10 -at a time when Mr Murdoch's British newspaper titles are starting to switch horses from Blair to Brown… Any glimpse of the Murdoch regime's thinking is of wider public interest because Mr Murdoch likes to be on the winning side and is not bashful at saying what he wants from elected politicians. Labour MPs and activists may be delighted that their favourite media foe shares their assessment of Mr Brown.)



2//The Daily Star, Lebanon--SYRIAN ‘REDEPLOYMENT’ RAISES QUESTIONS (The Syrian Army started dismantling some of its bases here on Tuesday, in what Lebanese and Syrian security officials dubbed as a "regular" redeployment, despite earlier reports of a long-awaited pullout. However, observers on the ground said that no major moves in the direction of the border have been spotted…Although officials both in Syria and here have avoided clarifying the link, the move comes a few days ahead of the expected report of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1559. Adopted earlier this month, Resolution 1559 urges the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon, but was originally intended specifically for Syria. The move also came amid growing pressure from the U.S., France, and the international community at large for Syria to leave.)



3//The Turkish Daily News, Turkey--U.S., SYRIA INITIATE TALKS ON MILITARY COOPERATION(Despite deep differences with Syria, Washington has initiated talks with Damascus in an effort to create a military-to-military relationship to help stabilize war-torn Iraq, Time magazine reported. Talks could even lead to joint U.S.-Syrian patrols along Iraq's border with Syria, which the United States accuses of supporting terrorism, interfering in Lebanon and violating human rights, Time quoted a senior U.S. official as saying… Spokespersons for the U.S. State and Defense Departments said they were unaware of the Time report and had no comment…Time reported that gaining Syrian cooperation to help stabilize Iraq could depend on the United States letting up on Syria on other issues.)



4//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--TAMING TERROR IN ALGERIA (Violence continues to spread throughout Algeria, 12 years after the army aborted elections Islamists were set to win, prompting an uprising by Islamic extremists and a conflict which has killed up to 150,000 people, mostly civilians… Washington is concerned about the presence of al-Qaeda-linked groups in North Africa, and has stepped up military cooperation and technical assistance to Algiers since September 11, 2001, fearing an implementation of terrorist groups in the Sahel (sub-Saharan) region through the GSPC. "The West has changed its side and has expressed its support to the government," said Azzedine Layachi, a political-science professor at St John's University in the US, drawing attention to Algeria's expertise in dealing with terrorist networks.)



5//dw-World.de/Deutsche Welde, Germany--GAINS BY EXTREMIST PARTIES TROUBLE GERMANY (Germany woke up to fears that the political tremors sparked by state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg on Sunday could lead to deeper division within their country and scare off investors. Observers say the success of the Party of Democratic Socialism, the successor to East Germany's communist party, and the extreme right National Party of Germany (NPD) and German People's Union (DVU) in Sunday's elections show how angry East Germans are at the reality they face 14 years after reunification… By making themselves, as a regional party, the "mouthpiece of a part of Germany" they are deepening the divide between East and West, Interior Minister Otto Schily said of the party, which has only found success so far in the east.)

[Scurrilous]

1. Lebanese minister: Syria will stay until Israel quits Arab lands

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/480160.html

<snip>

"Syria will withdraw fully from Lebanon only after Israel ends its occupation of all Arab lands, Lebanese Defense Minister Mahmoud Hammoud declared Tuesday.

Hammoud, one of Syria's supporters in the Lebanese government, was responding to the redeployment of Syrian forces in Lebanon, which began Tuesday morning. According to Lebanese sources, some 3,000 Syrian soldiers are being redeployed, mainly from bases located in the suburbs of Beirut, and at least some of them will return to Syria.

Hammoud said that the redeployment was "due to an improvement in the security situation and in Lebanon's stability, and an inseparable part of the brotherly relations and cooperation between the two countries."

In particular, he cited the 1989 Taif Accord that ended Lebanon's civil war, which called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces in Lebanon."

[Gloria]

2. Yeah, as the article concludes, it's all "political"....

Meanwhile, we see that Time is reporting that Syria and the U.S are negotiating about joint patrols on the Syrian-Iraqi border......mmmmmmmm