McCALLUM VOLUNTEERS TO CUT DEFENCE/Canada--New WMW

[Gloria]

Full excerpts, links up now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com


WORLD MEDIA WATCH For August 29, 2003

1//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--IRAN’S REFORMERS, CONSERVATIVES SQUARE OFF(A new round of public confrontation between the ruling conservatives - a minority of non-elected clerics who rule Iran - and the official reformists who control both the executive and the legislative powers but have no say in decision-making, has set the tone for the run up to the majlis (parliament) elections, due in less than six months. The two heads of the Iranian political system are engaged in a cutthroat fight on two fronts, and the outcome could well determine, and eventually shape, the future of the present Iranian regime.)



2//Inter Press Service, Italy--POLITICS-LIBERIA: U.S. PULLBACK BRAKES MOMENTUM, EXPERTS SAY (Washington's removal of U.S. marines from Monrovia to ships offshore will hurt the recovery of war-weary Liberia in both real and symbolic ways, say humanitarian and political experts…U.S. military spokesmen said they recalled the marines because the soldiers can better assess the situation from offshore, although officials were earlier quoted saying that was a job better done on the ground. President George W Bush said earlier this month the soldiers would leave Liberia by Oct. 1…The pullback is ''a slap in the face to the U.N. and the whole peace effort'', said Robert Rotberg, director of the programme on intrastate conflict, conflict prevention and conflict resolution at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. ''It shows that the U.S. doesn't take it seriously.'' )

3//The Toronto Star, Canada--McCALLUM VOLUNTEERS TO CUT DEFENCE(Defence Minister John McCallum is leading the way in the federal government's push to find $1 billion in savings to help pay for new spending on social and environmental programs announced in this year's budget. In the largest proposed voluntary cuts among federal departments, National Defence has promised to find ways to trim $200 million from its $12.7 billion budget, according to a confidential memo distributed to government departments by the federal Treasury Board.)



4//The Japan Times, Japan--OPINION: WASHINGTON LAYS SIEGE TO WTO SYSTEM (Zoellick calls himself a free trader, fighting for the benefits of free trade over protectionism. However, what he is doing by setting up these FTAs is the opposite, and threatens the very system he is claiming to support. FTAs are agreements to establish protected trade flows, in which each of the members agrees to give trade preferences to its partner or partners. This is contrary to the spirit of the WTO.… A usually pro-U.S. newspaper, the London-based Financial Times, recently described the U.S. as a "bungling bully." It argued that the U.S. is making it clear that it will set up FTAs only with countries that support its broad foreign policy goals.)


5//The Moscow Times, Russia--CARLYLE, ALFA MULL JOINT EQUITY FUND ("We have been looking at Russia for a long time," the source said, on condition of anonymity. "But we have not made any firm deals so far." Carlyle snapped up a 68 percent stake in the pharmacy network Apteka Holding in 1999, its sole investment in Russia to date.)

[J B]

1. Canada's US ambassador isn't gonna like that...

Not one bit.

[Spazito]

2. LOL and you are right on that!

Celluci is gonna whine and complain yet again and Canadians will ignore him yet again!