USA/UNITED STATES/AMERICAS


Table of Contents for United States

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1) PRC Weekly Article Interprets US New National Security Strategy
Article by Cui Lei, assistant researcher of the Department of America
Studies of China Institute of International Studies, Changes and Those
Unchanged of US New Strategy
2) Article Affirms Secret Institutions Running US Government, Not Obama
Article by Syed Sardar Ahmed Pirzada: "Gen McChrystal: How Did He Come?
How Did He Go?"
3) Former General Sees US Leaving Afghanistan After McChrystal
Article by General [ret] Mirza Aslam Beg: "Objection of Gen McChrystal"
4) Xinhua 'Analysis': Israelis, Palestinians, Americans Produce 24 Hours
of 'Theater': Analyst
Xinhua "Analysis" by David Harris: "Israelis, Palestinians, Americans
Produce 24 Hours of 'Theater': Analyst"
5) Syrian President U rges Israel To Elect Truly Pro-Peace Government
Interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad by international columnist
Marcelo Cantelmi in Buenos Aires on 3 July: Israel will have to elect a
government that would be a real partner for peace. First paragraph is
Clarins introduction.
6) Xinhua 'Analysis': Will Biden's Iraq Trip Breath New Life Into Iraq's
Political Deadlock?
Xinhua "Analysis": "Will Biden's Iraq Trip Breath New Life Into Iraq's
Political Deadlock?"
7) Writer Views 'Internal, External Problems' Obama Faces on Eve of
Netanyahu Visit
Article by George Sam'an: "Obama and Netanyahu: Who Sets the Agenda?"
8) Taleban close main highway to Afghan south, set light to vehicles
9) Pakistan Press Nawa-e Waqt 05 Jul 10
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338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735.
10) Clinton Hails Georgia's Participation In Afghan Operation
11) US Pushing India Into Afghanisthan To Tar Islamic Character
Editorial: "India Has No Role in Afghanistan"
12) Pakistan Author Says Afghan Reconciliation Only Way For Honorable US,
NATO Exit
Article by Dr Raja Muhammad Khan: Afghan Reconciliation: Only Way
Forward
13) ROK Editorial Mulls on 'Change of Command' in Multinational Force in
Afghanistan
Editorial: "Change of Command"
14) Daily Hails Islamabad-Kabul Accord on Afghan Army Officers Training
in Pakistan
Editorial: Training Afghan Soldiers
15) Russia May Shortly Remove Differences At Talks On WTO (Adds)
16) Iran foreign minister meets senior Afghan diplomat in Tehran
17) Pakistan Article Urges US To Withdraw From Afghanistan Sooner Than
Later
Article by Aijaz Zaka Syed: Nowhere Near Victory
18) Army Chief Says He Met Afghan President in Gen McChrystal's Presence
Un-attributed report: "COAS says he met Karzai in McChrystal's presence"
19) Thai Editorial Stresses Need To Defeat Taliban Leadership in
Afghanistan
Editorial: "Time is short for Kabul"
20) Russia May Shortly Remove Differences at Talks on WTO
21) US will remain committed to spirit of dialogue with Belarus,
22) Yeni Ozgur Politika Headlines 02 July 2010
The following is a list of news headlines from the Yeni Ozgur Politika
website on 2 July; to request additional processing, please contact OSC at
(800) 205-8615, (202) 338-6735, fax (703) 613-5735, or
oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov
23) Foreign Investors Return as Euro-zone Debt Crisis Eases
24) Home Affairs Records 'A Million' Foreign Visitors Entering RSA During
World Cup
Unattributed Report: "A Million Tourists Visit SA During WCup"
25) More Iranian Students Studying Abroad in US Than in Any Other Country
List of Countries That Have the Most Iranian University Students / We
Have 10,000 University Students in America  Mehr News Agency report
26) FYI -- Agency: Number of EU, Arab States Refuse To Supply Fuel for
Iran Aircraft
27) Clinton Poland, Ukraine Visit Eyed
Article by Vasiliy Voropayev: "Hillary is Inviting Ukraine To Join NATO"
(Izvestiya Online)
28) Russia's Faltering Space Industry Contrasted With US Space Program
Article by Dmitriy Ponomarev, editor in chief of the Interright
Information Agency, under the rubric "Society": "The United States Is
Moving Into a Hiatus From Space"
29) President Sargsyan congratulates Obama on Constitution Day .::. The Ar
menian News by A1
30) Clinton calls for Karabakh peace, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation
31) Russia To Open Dozens Of Helicopter Service Centers Within Next Decade
32) Consumption Pattern of Imported Beef Changes
Report by Kang Hyun-kyung, staff reporter
33) Fidel Castro Discusses US-Iran Tension, World Cup
The 217th installment in Fidel Castro's "Reflections by Comrade Fidel"
commentary series: "An Impossible Happiness;" published originally on the
site Cubadebate.
34) Israel Still Rejects Int'l Probe on Aid Ship Raid
"Israel Still Rejects Int"l Probe on Aid Ship Raid" -- KUNA Headline
35) ROK's IT Exports Set New Record in H1
Updated version: rewording headline, adding source graphic, and adjusting
tags; Report by Lee Eun-joo: "IT Exports Set New Record"; For assistance
with multimedia el ements, contact the OSC Customer Center at (800)
205-8615 or oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
36) FYI -- Iranian TV Broadcasts Ahmadinezhad Interview With Chinese
Phoenix TV
37) Filipino Militants Demand Justice for Death of Interpreter Working for
US Troops
Report by Jade C. Zaldivar of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex from the Top of the
Nation section: "Militants demand justice on interpreter's death"
38) ROK 'Trying To Convince' ASEAN Security Group To Condemn DPRK Over
Sinking
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Chang Jae-soon: "S. Korea Trying to Convince
ARF to Condemn N. Korea Over Ship Sinking"
39) Activist Urges Community of Democracies To Help Burma's Political
Transition
40) Watchdog Claims '3 Oil Firms Fuel Nuclear Proliferation in Burma'
Report by Kang Hyun-kyung, staff reporter : "'3 Oil Firms Fuel Nuclear
Proliferation in Myanmar'"
41) Burma Said Using Revenue From US, French Energy Giants To Build
Nuclear Arms
AFP Report: "Energy giants fund Myanmar nuclear drive: rights group"
42) Bulgarian Defense Minister Angelov Views Antimisisle Defense System
Variants
Interview with Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov by an unidentified
anchor; carried by Bulgarian National Television "Day Begins" program at
0450 GMT on 5 July -- live
43) Bulgarian FM Mladenov Views Relations With Russia, Middle East
Conflict
Interview with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov by Tsvetanka
Rizova; carried by Nova Television "Face-to-Face" program at 1505 GMT on 4
July -- live
44) Court Acquits US National Charged with Attempting to Sell World Cup
Tickets
Report by Khetiwe Chelemu: "American Freed after Tournament Tickets
Charges"
45) Sowetan Asks Zuma for Answers on Reports of 'Turmoil' in Presidency
Editorial: "Speak Up, Mr President"
46) DA Questions 'Fugitive' Lawyer's Appointment as Adviser to Defense
Minister
Report by Wyndham Hartley: "Spy Watcher Ducks Query on Advisers
Clearance"
47) Top W. Cape ANC Officials Threaten Legal Action against former Premier
Report by Domenic Mahlangu and Sally Evans:" Rasool under Siege" - "Former
Premier's ANC 'Enemies' in Western Cape Threaten Legal Action"
48) Mozambique Opposition Party Urges 'Drug Baron' Investigation
Unattributed report: "Mozambique Democratic Movement Demands (Urgent)
Intervention by the State"
49) Al-Shabaab Leader Calls For Attacks on AU Troops, Warns Uganda,
Burundi
50) Korea-China Biz Convention Opens in Shenyang
51) Canada Beef Ban May Be Lifted, With Provisos
52) Chief Editor's Artricle on Saudi Kings Presence at G20 summit, Talks
With Obama
Article by Chief Editor Tariq al-Humayd: Ahmadinezhad and Netanyahu ..
Have You Seen the Picture?
53) ROK Editorial Urges Military To Prepare for Possible DPRK Attack Not
Wait for UN Action
Editorial: "Condemning N.K."
54) ROK President Orders 'Painstaking Preparation' for OPCON Transition
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Lee Chi-dong: "Lee Orders Painstaking
Preparation For Wartime Control Transition"
55) Thai Commentary Says Thaksin Lobbying To Make US Intervene in
Country's Affairs
Commentary by Nation News Agency: "Thaksin Has Hired Lobbyists To Persuade
US To Intervene in Thailand's Internal Affairs"
56) Report Say s World Banks Lending For Pakistan To Reach $11.8 Billion
Shortly
Report by Sabir Shah: WB lending for Pakistan to reach $11.8 bn shortly
57) UN Security Council No Closer to Decision Over Cheonan
58) Article Slams EU for Dumping Toxic Waste in African Coasts Despite
Legislation
Article by Paul Redfern: "EU, US Dumping Toxic Waste in Africa"
59) Foreign Ministry Says Slovakia To Remain NATO Liaison Country for
Ukraine
Report by Petra Prochazkova: "Clinton Welcomed in Kiev by a Law Against
NATO; the Alliance Has Not Closed Its Door on Ukraine, Even Though the
Country Is Turning to the East"
60) Protesters against censorship detained during Clinton's visit to
Ukraine
61) Iraqi Sources Claim Biden Proposed Hot Line Between Iyad Allawi, White
House
Report by Mu'idd Fayyad in London: "Biden Meets Allawi Alone and Proposes
Hot Line B etween him and the White House. Leader in Al-Iraqiyah List: US
Vice President Urged Agreement With Al-Maliki's Coalition"
62) 500 Kg Of Cocaine From Latin America Seized In Odessa
63) The US Can't Afford Benign Neglect Toward Ukraine
"The US Can't Afford Benign Neglect Toward Ukraine" -- The Daily Star
Headline
64) A Syria in Minor Key
"A Syria in Minor Key" -- NOW Lebanon Headline
65) Roundtable Panelists Discuss Situation in Persian Gulf
Figures indicate program running time. For a video of this program,
contact GSG_GVP_VideoOps@rccb.osis.gov or, if you do not have e-mail, the
OSC Customer Center at (800) 205-8615. Selected video is also available on
OpenSource.gov.
66) Taiwan Shares Close Up 1.49 Percent
By Frances Huang
67) Commercial Times: A Platform For Three-party Partnership
By Y.F. Low
68) Foreign Direct Investment in ROK Declines in H1
Yonhap headline: "Foreign Direct Investment in S. Korea Declines in H1"
69) Experts Raise Concern with Sustainability of 'Sandwich Class' Housing
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
70) Prosecution Bans Officials Accused of Illegal Surveillance From
Leaving Country
71) DPRK Monthly Features Japanese 'Active' Role in Korean War
Article by Kim Yong: "Japan's Crime in Korean War"; for assistance with
multimedia elements, contact the OSC Customer Center at (800) 205-8615 or
oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
72) Turkey's Basbug: PKK Presence in N. Iraq To Hurt Bilateral Ties With
Iraq, US
"WE ARE AT A POINT UNEXPLAINABLE BY WORDS, GENERAL BASBUG" -- AA headline
73) Xinhua 'Analysis' : What Do Palestinians Expect From Obama-Netanyahu
Meeting?
Xinhua "Analysis": "What Do Palestinians Expect From Obama-Netanyahu
Meeting?"
74) Salih Al-Mutlaq Calls for Sharing of Power Between SLC, Al-Iraqiyah
Report by Umar Sattar in Baghdad: Al-Mutlaq to Al-Hayah: Sharing the
Presidency and Premiership Is the Solution To End the Current Crisis
75) PRC Academics, Experts Urge 'Practical Action' on Global Nuclear
Security
By staff reporters Niu Ruifei, Li Feng, and Wei Dongze: "Practical Action
Needed To Achieve Nuclear Security"
76) Czech Commentary Highlights US Confusion Over Russian Foreign Policy
Goals
Commentary by Daniel Anyz: "Washington's Russian Soul Dispute"
77) Czech Analyst Says Obama's Attempt To Reset Russia Ties 'Naive,'
'Dangerous'
Commentary by Teodor Marjanovic: "Russian Spy Team in Action"
78) < a href="#t78">Russian TV presenter criticizes top US administration
officials
79) Russia's Putin calls on Georgia to resolve situation with breakaway
region alone
80) Putin Urges Georgia, S Ossetia To Reach Agreement (Adds)
81) USA's Clinton meets pro-Western opposition leaders in Georgia
82) USA's Clinton stresses support at meeting with Georgian women
83) FYI -- Clinton Reiterates US' Support After Meeting Georgian Leader
84) Georgia, US To Develop Strategic Partnership -- Saakashvili
85) US To Help Georgia Develop Democracy - Clinton
86) Georgian politicians, experts upbeat about US state secretary's visit
87) FYI -- US Secretary of State Arrives in Georgia
88) Did the Russian Spies Just Love Tapping in To Us?
"Did the Russian Spies Just Love Tappi ng in To Us?" -- The Daily Star
Headline
89) US State Secretary To Discuss Bilateral Coop With Georgia Leaders
90) DPRK Party Organ Says 'US Interference Biggest Hurdle in National
Reunification'
The vernacular full text of the following Rodong Sinmun "signed article"
has been obtained from the KPM website and is attached in PDF format; KCNA
headline: "Rodong Sinmun Terms U.S. Interference Biggest Hurdle in
National Reunification"
91) US, ROK To Hold Joint Drills After UN Action Against DPRK
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Kim Deok-hyun : "S. Korea, U.S. to Hold Joint
Drills After U.N. Action Against N. Korea"
92) S. Korea, U.S. to Hold Joint Drills After U.N. Action Against N. Korea
93) A Date That Will Live in Infamy
"Viewpoint" column by Kim Jin, an editorial writer and Translation by the
JoongAng Daily staff: "A Date That Will Live in Infamy"
94) DPRK's Hard-Line Stance Increases Uncertainty to NE Asia's Situation
Article by veteran commentator Li Yu-chih: "DPRK's Hard-Line Stance
Increases Factors of Instability"
95) DPRK Needs To Develop 'Nuclear Deterrent' in 'Newly Developed Ways'
Commentary by reporter Kim Chong-son: "Strengthening of Nuclear Deterrent
Is Ten Million Times Just"; The author's title in the byline provided by
KPM may be different from that which appears in hard copy
96) China Times: Forget Ftas If Ecfa Altered
By Maubo Chang
97) Credit Guarantees For SMEs Hit Record High in 2009
98) Lee to Send Ruling Party Lawmaker as Special Envoy to Libya
99) Xinhua 'Roundup': Film, TV Industry Bedrock of U.S. Economy
Xinhua "Rou ndup" by George Bao: "Film, TV Industry Bedrock of U.S.
Economy"
100) Nepal's Garment Exports To U.S. Sink To Zero
Xinhua: "Nepal's Garment Exports To U.S. Sink To Zero"
101) Judge Asks Police To Probe Blackwater Involvement in Lahore Shrine
Attack
For a copy of the video or assistance with multimedia elements, contact
OSC at (800) 205-8615 or OSCinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
102) Chinese Embassy Says Nuclear Deal With Pakistan Meets International
Obligations
News Desk report: Sino-Pak N-deal meets international obligations
103) PTI Chief Says Pakistan Paying Price For Fighting Proxy War For US
Report by staff reporter: Imran claims he can crush terrorism in three
months
104) JI Chief Says Blackwater, US Marines Involved in Data Shrine Attacks
Unattributed report: Blackwater behind Darbar incident: JI
105) Congressman Says US To Help Pakistan Establish Real Democratic Setup
Report by Sami Abraham: US wants strong civilian rule in Pakistan, says
Berman
106) Pakistan Daily Hails Planned National Conference To Evolve
Anti-terror Strategy
Editorial: Anti-terror Conference
107) Ahmadinezhad Says Iran Will Not Be Affected By Latest Sanctions
Speech by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad at a ceremony to
inaugurate a privately-owned steel factory in the provincial town of
Bonab, East Azarbayjan Province -- live
108) CIA Chief's Statement on Iran's Nuclear Program Rejected
Editorial by Mohammad Safari: "New scenario against Iran's nuclear
program"
109) Roundup of Khuzestan Province Friday Prayer Sermons 2 Jul 10
110) Roundup of Mazandaran Province Friday Prayer Sermons 2 Jul 10
111) Russia Will Be Able To Inspect Missi le Defense Sites In Poland
112) New Polish president to develop 'stable' relations with Russia -
senior senator
113) ROK's Economy 'Still Faces External Uncertainties Despite Recovery'
Updated version: replacing 0100 GMT version with source-supplied 0301 GMT
update, which "UPDATES with details from 3rd para; ADDS KDI's assessment
in last 2 paras"; Yonhap headline: "(LEAD) S. Korea's economy still faces
external uncertainties despite recovery"
114) LG Begins Aggressive Smartphone Offensive
115) Lebanon Mourns Loss of Sayyed Fadlallah
"Lebanon Mourns Loss of Sayyed Fadlallah" -- The Daily Star Headline
116) Us Transport Secretary Backs High-Speed Railway
"Us Transport Secretary Backs High-Speed Railway" -- The Daily Star
Headline
117) Ban: Unifil Facing Surge in Tensions Near Border
"B an: Unifil Facing Surge in Tensions Near Border" -- The Daily Star
Headline
118) What Should Worry US More, Inflation Or Deflation?
"What Should Worry US More, Inflation Or Deflation?" -- The Daily Star
Headline
119) CAR Calls on United States To Help 'Neutralize' LRA Rebels
120) Politicians Hire US Lobbyists To Destroy Country's Reputation
Commentary by Kafaedam: "Hiring Foreign Lobbyists To Harm One's Own
Country?"
121) JFJB Talks With Experts of Beijing MR Survey, Map Center on '3S' Tech
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
122) UFO in Xinjiang Is US-launched Intercontinental Missile: PRC
Astronomer
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.g ov.
123) China Places Strategic Focus on Western Territory
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov.
124) Xinhua 'Interview': Human Genome Project Will Live up To Its
Potential: NIH Director
Xinhua "Interview": "Human Genome Project Will Live up To Its Potential:
NIH Director"
125) Auditing Chamber Spokesman Critical of Officer Bonuses at MoD
Conference
Article by Vladimir Ivanov under rubric "Realities": "They Will Minimize
Contract Personnel"
126) Duma To Hold Parliamentary Hearings On New START Treaty
127) Russian Scientists Criticize State-Funded 'Innovations'
Report by Konstantin Gaaze, Anton Ctepnov and Nikita Maksimov: "A
Collision on Inovations" -- taken from html version of source provided by
ISP128) Russian Communist MP slams START treaty, says faction to oppose
ratification

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1) Back to Top
PRC Weekly Article Interprets US New National Security Strategy
Article by Cui Lei, assistant researcher of the Department of America
Studies of China Institute of International Studies, Changes and Those
Unchanged of US New Strategy - Liaowang
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:33:06 GMT
the United States collectively expounded, for the first time, in a single
document the series of advocacies on national security of the Obama
Administration. Compared with the national security strategy of the Bush
Administration four years ago, the recent report showed four new
distinctive points.

First, the report greatly adjusted the counter-terrorism strategy. In the
first place, the re port abandoned the use of the term "counter-terrorism
war" - holding that the United States is not fighting a war with a kind of
an abstract ideology - terrorist or religious - or Islamism, but with
actual terrorist elements - the Al-Qa'ida and its affiliated
organizations. Second, the focus of counter-terrorism has shifted to the
United States itself. In view that some terrorist elements have kept
trying to launch attacks in the United States, the new strategy proposed
forging cooperation between intelligence agencies and communities to
prevent local extremism.

Second, the report had a thick favor of multilateralism. Although the new
strategy expressly said that the United States reserves the right to take
unilateral actions, compared with the Bush Administration, more
restrictions are imposed on the use of force. The report said the United
States will use force discreetly, abide by international regulations, gain
international support, and will use force o nly when it is pressed to.
Although the new strategy did not expressly state that the United States
will abandon the "first strike" strategy, it committed itself to using all
possible diplomatic means before using force. Compared with the rude and
rash "cowboy" diplomacy of Bush, the new strategy was more moderate. The
new strategy claimed that the United States will promote human rights and
democracy, but said the United States recognizes the rationality of all
kinds of political systems.

Third, the new strategy placed importance on US domestic economic
problems, believing that, to deal with foreign affairs, one must first
properly handle its domestic problems. The new strategy particularly
stressed that economy is the source of US strength, that the advantages of
the United States lie in its powerful innovative ability and productive
forces, and that only by ensuring economic prosperity of the United States
can the national security and overseas influences of the United States be
fundamentally ensured. All previous national security strategy reports of
the United States did not so stress the important role of economy in
national security.

Fourth, the new strategy anticipated changes in China. The new strategy
inherited the Bush Administration's strategy - while developing "positive,
constructive, and comprehensive relations" with China, the report said the
United States will closely watch China's military modernization, so as to
prevent China from harming US interests and interests of its allies.
However, the new strategy made adjustments based on the new international
setting, expressing the hope that China will play a "responsible leading
role" - compared with "responsible stakeholder," the report held higher
expectations on China.

Between the lines, the new strategy revealed the Obama Administration's
worry about the declining trend of US strength, reflecting the profou nd
sense of crisis of the US government and society. Obama acutely sensed
that the lack of international morality and the economic crisis are the
source of the current predicament of the United States, and the new
strategy was just aimed at resolving these two problems.

The new strategy drew lessons from the Bush Administration, and stressed
multilateralism in order to win wide international support and let US
allies and partners share responsibility. The new strategy shrank the
scope of fighting terrorism and adjusted the US Middle East policy in bias
of Israel, which also followed the same logic, and the intent was to win
the support of the Muslim countries and people in orde r to disintegrate
the mass foundation of terrorism.

After having experienced the grave financial crisis, the United States
feels that its strength does not match its ambitions and its ability to
dominate the international order has declined, and thus it hopes to
increase its influence th rough revitalizing its economy. The Bush
Administration believed that the main security threats came from the
outside and its objective was to keep terrorism out of the United States,
while the new strategy believed that the primary security threats come
from the within and the underlying way to deal with the problem is to
revitalize the US economy.

The new strategy was a general sum-up of Obama's advocacies during his
election and governing periods, but not a major revision, and therefore
its symbolic significance was greater than its practical significance. In
the process of its diplomatic practice, the Obama Administration has been
restricted by the hegemonic inertness, the international environment, the
economic predicament, and other factors, which definitely has discounted
the new strategy to some degree. Like the foreign policy of Bush during
the last two years of his term, the new strategy in fact deviated from
unilateralism and had a greater flavor of multila teralism. For example,
the US claimed that it wants to set an example in promoting the democratic
values in an attempt to take the international morality height. However,
held back by the US domestic politics and fund problem, the United States,
for a long time, has failed to shut down the Guantanamo Prison, making it
difficult for people to believe its sincerity in promoting its values. For
another example, the new strategy ambitiously wanted to maintain the US
absolute military superiority to ensure global security, but the pressure
of reducing its financial deficits very likely will make the target the
moon in the water or a flower in the mirror.

Furthermore, out of consideration of taking care of the interest groups of
the Democratic Party, the new strategy made the economic crisis, climate
change, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and
Internet security the priority tasks needed to be dealt with - the
definition of security in the new strateg y was very loose. Normally, the
purpose of announcing a national security strategy is to persuade the
Congress to pass a budget bill, but the new strategy included too many
priority items and its definition of security was loose, which may make
the new strategy less convincing.

In the international aspect, the planning in the new strategy on the
US-dominated international order was more or less a wishful thinking. Will
the US allies and partners be willing to share responsibility? How will
the United States do if they evade their responsibility? The new strategy
did not give a clear answer. Currently, the situations of the EU and Japan
are similar to that of the United States - they are all bothered by their
ailing economies. As a result, they have been unwilling to continue to pay
the bill for the United States on the Afghanistan and Iraq issues, and
have withdrawn or are planning to withdraw their troops. The new strategy
attempted to rope in China, Russia, and Indi a as US partners, but these
countries have their own stands and are not willing to dance around the
conducting baton of the United States.

Nevertheless, predicting from the diplomatic achievements of Obama since
he took office, the new strategy will have some results in reestablishing
the US image and its dominating position. The Obama Administration has
practiced a multilateralist strategy, participated in or held the G-20
meeting, UN climate meeting, nuclear security summit, has actively dealt
with the global financial crisis, climate change, nuclear
nonproliferation, and other global issues, and pressed forward the Middle
East peace process - all these have quite contributed to improving the US
image and increasing the influence of the United States. Therefore,
although the new strategy tactfully c onceded that US strength has
declined and its influence to international affairs is not as great as
before, it was still very optimistic about the prospects of walking o ut
the predicament by the United States, indicating the new Administration's
mentality of being full of confidence and forging ahead with
determination.

In his preface to the new strategy, Obama said: "Since the founding of the
United States, the American people have firmly believed that, even when
the prospects are unpredictable, tomorrow definitely will be better than
today". In her speech at the Brookings Institute, US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton also claimed: "US strength has not declined, and we only
need to change the way of using our strength". What she did not say
explicitly was that, as long as the United States changes over to new
ways, it will be able to reestablish its dominating position in the
international establishment. Thus, it can be seen that the underlying goal
of the United States to dominate the world has not changed, and what have
changed are just the means and strategy to gain hegemonic power. If the
United States jum ps out of the mires of the two wars and is no longer
tied down by the economic crisis, in a given situation, unilateralism and
"first strike" may again become the key words of US national security
strategy.

(Description of Source: Beijing Liaowang in Chinese -- weekly general
affairs journal published by China's official news agency Xinhua, carrying
articles on political, social, cultural, international, and economic
issues)Attachments:lw0607b.pdf

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

2) Back to Top
Article Affirms Secret Institutions Running US Government, Not Obama
Article by Syed Sardar Ahmed Pirzada: "Gen McChrystal: How Did He Come?
How Did He Go?" - Na wa-e Waqt
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:32:52 GMT
After taking charge of the Presidency, Obama -- on the advice of the
Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff -- removed General David McKiernan, US
and NATO commander in Afghanistan. This was the first time in 50 years
that the top general was removed during wartime. Earlier, Harry Truman had
sacked Douglas MacArthur from his duty during the Korean War. After Gen
David McKiernan, Obama handed over the responsibility of leading US and
NATO forces in Afghanistan to General McChrystal, whom he had met only
occasionally and also did not know much about him. McChrystal was a
55-year-old smart blue-eyed agile general. He had a shine in his eyes
which could bring destruction, and which traveled across the one who
opposed him.

Although Gen McChrystal had given his vote to President Obama, he still
had differences with his Commander in Chief, Preside nt Obama. Gen
McChrystal first confronted President Obama when Obama, about a week after
becoming President, participated in a meeting of high-ranking military
generals held at The Tank, a special room at the Pentagon.

According to special sources privy to Gen McChrystal views, Gen McChrystal
believed that President Obama was impressed by the military officers and
was also looking nervous. About four months after this incident, the
President and Gen McChrystal had a one-on-one meeting at the Oval Office.
According to the general's advisor, it was just a 10-minute photo session.
President Obama did not know about him or who he was. He did not know that
he was the person who was going to fight the most important war for the
United States and that he (Obama) would be disappointed with him.

When Gen McChrystal took charge of the Afghan war about a year ago, the
Afghan war had become the property of the United States alone. A change
was witnessed in the Netherlands owing to the opposition to the war. The
German president had to resign. Furthermore, Canada and the Netherlands
announced to call back their troops from Afghanistan.

When President Obama gave Gen McChrystal command of the Afghan war, he had
been in charge of the US secret activities called "black operations" at
the Pentagon for five years. Although he was in charge of the Afghan war
for just a year, McChrystal had offended all the stakeholders of the
Afghan war in this period. During that autumn, he criticized US Vice
President Joe Biden's strategy against terrorism while replying to a query
in London and said, "He is shortsighted as his plan would bring chaos."
President Obama took strict notice of these remarks by Gen McChrystal and
immediately called him up for a secret meeting in his private plane "Air
Force One." He clearly told him, "Shut up and keep a low profile."

The agility in General McChrystal took him from ha stiness to resignation,
and President Obama at last sacked him. Apparently, this incident has
become a part of the past; however, if pondered, some questions are still
left to be answered. Many analyses were made over this issue, in which two
aspects were discussed. First, that Gen McChrystal adopted realism. And
secondly, owing to a strong democratic system in the United States, the
civilian government there can reprimand senior military officials and also
punish them.

However, there is another important aspect which has not been brought
forth. The United States is fighting a war for its respect and future in
Afghanistan. The commander of US and NATO forces is the jockey of the
horses in this race. The US President certainly has to deliberate
extensively to appoint a person to such an important and sensitive
position. However, in the case of Gen McChrystal, we observed that
President Obama made him commander of the war in Afghanistan without
holding any detailed meet ing with him or thoroughly getting to know him.

It would be incorrect to say that President Obama assigned Gen McChrystal
the responsibility without getting acquainted with him due to his
immaturity. Rather, it would be right to say that the decision about Gen
McChrystal had been taken by the US secret policymakers, on which the US
President signed with closed eyes. However, when Gen McChrystal slated the
US policies towards Afghanistan a year later, a civilian President quietly
picked up a strong general and threw him away, and it was described as the
success of the democratic system. But here again, the situation was
perhaps the same as earlier.

Instead of the President, the US secret policymakers punished him, as he
was not sacked for continuously offending all the friends in the war for a
year. However, when the general challenged the secret US interests, he was
punished. Thus, it would perhaps be right to say that even in a strong
democracy such as the Uni ted States, the real government is being run by
the secret policymaking institutions, as happens in weak democracies of
the Third World countries. The coming and going of Gen McChrystal
substantiates this belief.

(Description of Source: Rawalpindi Nawa-e Waqt in Urdu -- Privately owned,
widely read, conservative Islamic daily, with circulation around 125,000.
Harshly critical of the US and India.)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
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Former General Sees US Leaving Afghanistan After McChrystal
Article by General [ret] Mirza Aslam Beg: "Objection of Gen McChrystal" -
Khabrain
Monday July 5, 2010 22:37:17 GMT
President Obama made two promises during his presidential campaign. The
first, he would withdraw troops from Afghanistan to end this ongoing
purposeless and savage war. Second, he would find a just solution to the
Kashmir issue. However, he backed down on these promises when he reached
the White House. He adopted another course to resolve the Afghanistan
issue through military supremacy under the pressure of the military top
brass and the arms manufacturing lobby. He could have easily said,
"President Bush has accomplished the mission in Afghanistan. Therefore,
now I have decided to recall troops." Certainly, the NATO and the US
public would have liked this decision. On the other hand, the Indian lobby
pressed upon him so much so regarding the resolution of the Kashmir issue
that he cut short the responsibilities of Richard Holbrooke to only
Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Undoubtedly, Gen McChrystal was disheartened ove r his failures, for he
could not come up to the expectations that were about him like those
fulfilled by Gen David Petraeus in Iraq, though there is a hell of
difference between Iraq and Afghanistan. Gen Petraeus fanned sectarianism
by fueling differences between the Shiite and Sunni population through
ethnic and religious differences. This led to a spree of ethnic and
religious violence and targeted killings. He weakened the resistance by
bribing Sunni resistance leaders and succeeded in installing the
government of his own liking.

Contrary to this, there are no ethnic or religious differences in
Afghanistan. Here a majority of Pashtuns are fighting against the foreign
invaders. The minority Northern Alliance captured Afghanistan on US tanks,
and now it is on the run with the invading forces. The Afghan jihadists
have won this war. Therefore, this fact is necessary to be kept in mind
while deciding the terms of peace. David Miliband has righty said, "The
rightfu l tribes and ethnic outfits should be given key roles in the
political process, and it is necessary to include dominating victors in
the power regarding peace."

The admission of the failure of McChrystal is, in fact, a victory for
Obama, for he gave open field to the US generals to show their prowess.
However, they have lost their mettle. They have been forced to withdraw
their forces. They should admit this reality, that Afghanistan cannot be
dominated through military power. The United States should start the
political process to end this eight-year-long, barbaric, and purposeless
war in a peaceful manner. It should take appropriate and timely actions
for this purpose. The first course of action should be the start of talks
with the Taliban so that the mutual mistrust could be removed and
fundamental issues could be resolved through consensus, for example
determining the timeframe for the withdrawal of occupational forces from
Afghanistan, announcement of a tru ce, an end to the sanctions imposed on
the freedom movement of the Taliban, and to pave the way for political
compromise for a new system with renewed determination. These are the
measures that if not handled in an appropriate manner may lead to dire
consequences.

The Karzai government can play an important role in talks with the
Taliban. They can agree upon the constitution of a national government and
a new constitution for the political structure of the future by agreeing
to summon a grand jirga (assembly of elders).

Some other important and crucial issues in this connection are as follows:

-- What will be the nature of US-Afghan ties after the independence of
Afghanistan?

-- The future Afghan Government should have complete independence in
forging diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural ties with all
countries.

-- The guarantee of non-use of Afghan soil against other countries.

-- The promise of appropriate planning for compen sation of war damages
and reconstruction from the UN, the United States, NATO, and Russia.

Afghanistan had very good ties with Pakistan in the decade of the 1980's.
However, the trust of Afghanistan was marred when Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan was separated in 1990 from the Afghan
issues due to US pressure. In the second phase, the ISI officials having
good ties with the jihadists were removed. The greatest threat to
Pakistan's integrity was felt when Gen Musharraf stopped the ISI and other
agencies from working in Swat, Dir, Bajaur, the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA), Balochistan, and other border areas in 2001 and
handed over these areas to the US CIA. The Indian spy agencies active in
Afghanistan utilized this opportunity and joined it. The result was that
all our border areas became a hub of foreign intelligence agencies. The
conspiracies of these foreign intelligence agencies spread anarchy in the
country so much so that Peshawar and Islamabad also faced threats. A
regular insurgency emerged in Balochistan too.

These circumstances posed serious threats to the solidarity of Pakistan.
The new government coming into power in 2008 decided military operations
through military force in Swat, Dir, Bajaur, and South Waziristan to
restore government writ after clearing these areas of terrorists and
militants. The success of the actions of the Pakistani Army depended on
the coordination and complete cooperation of the intelligence agencies,
and it was only possible until all areas were cleared from influence of
the US CIA, (India's) Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and (Israel's)
Mossad.

Now our intelligence agencies have full control over these areas. This was
necessary for the success of military operations. That is the reason that
agencies are being accused of links with the militants. I am not sure
despite these successes that they have helped in bridging the trust gap
existing between the Afgha n Taliban and our intelligence agencies. The
Taliban are united under the leadership of Mullah Omar, and Mullah Omar
has a soft corner for Pakistan despite Pakistan's breaking of promises.
However, the young Taliban under his banner do not think so. Therefore, it
is necessary to see which avenue for Pakistan is open to bring the United
States and the Taliban to the table for talks, and how it will be possible
to play its crucial role that it is to play for peace, in case of the
withdrawal of the foreign forces from Afghanistan.

It is regrettable that Pakistan has taken the same position over the
change in government and peace in Afghanistan as is held by the United
States; that is, "Afghanistan should have a government without complete
dominance of the Taliban, and it should have the support of all
neighboring countries." This is a weak and unrealistic position. The
Taliban have won, and they have the right to form a government. They were
ditched in the past , and they were kept away from power after the Russian
rout. When a new government was formed in 2001, they were kept at bay from
power again. Now the conspiracies to ditch them a third time are under
way, but they will not be deceived. Therefore, the Pakistani Government
must decide after much deliberation; otherwise, all efforts of
establishing peace in Afghanistan will end in smoke and difficulties for
Pakistan will further increase.

Gen McChrystal, thank you for facilitating the withdrawal process of the
US troops from Afghanistan and now "stones have started rolling down from
the rocks of the mountains of Afghanistan." If my memory is right, perhaps
you said it a few years earlier: "Everything in Afghanistan is tough,
including the mountains, the people, or their stiff resistance." You were
right.

(Description of Source: Islamabad Khabrain in Urdu  News, a
sensationalist daily, published by Liberty Papers Ltd., generally critical
of Pakistan People's Party; known for its access to government and
military sources of information. The same group owns The Post in English,
Naya Akhbar in Urdu and Channel 5 TV. Circulation of 30,000)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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Xinhua 'Analysis': Israelis, Palestinians, Americans Produce 24 Hours of
'Theater': Analyst
Xinhua "Analysis" by David Harris: "Israelis, Palestinians, Americans
Produce 24 Hours of 'Theater': Analyst" - Xinhua
Monday July 5, 2010 21:36:51 GMT
JERUSALEM, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The diplomatic activities in Jerusalem,
Ramallah and Wash ington on Monday and Tuesday is nothing more than
theater, according to an analyst.

The political science professor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ira
Sharkansky, was highly dismissive of the meeting on Monday in Jerusalem
between Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israel's Defense
Minister Ehud Barak.Likewise, Sharkansky expected little more than
showmanship when United States President Barack Obama hosts Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday.However, Hussein
Ibish, senior fellow with the U.S. Task Force on Palestine, takes a very
different view, warning Israelis not to be dismissive of Fayyad or
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, both of whom are being taken very
seriously by the United States, he told Xinhua on Monday.In addition to
the Fayyad-Barak meeting, Israel's Defense Ministry on Monday announced
the details of a relaxation in the types of goods that may be brought into
the Gaza Strip, in a way of releasing a l ist of banned goods that are not
allowed to enter the enclave.The details of the announcement are
understood to have been discussed during the meeting between Fayyad and
Barak.Even though Palestinians and Israelis are currently only involved in
indirect peace talks, Fayyad and Barak met very publicly in Jerusalem's
King David Hotel to discuss areas of cooperation and concern.Much of the
session focused on security matters. In recent months, the Palestinians
have been taken on much more of the security role in the West Bank, the
territory controlled by Abbas' PNA.Fayyad told reporters on his return to
Ramallah that he had also called for greater freedom for the PNA to
operate unhindered throughout the West Bank.Despite, or perhaps because of
the photographed handshake between Fayyad and Barak, Sharkansky believed
the parley was little more than a well coordinated photo-op scheduled to
coincide with Netanyahu's departure for his Tuesday date in the White
House. In his opinion, some of the diplomatic activities on Monday are
just "treading water."However, Ibish saw these comments from Sharkansky,
others from Israeli hawks and indeed those from Palestinian extremists as
a sign that they are either panicking or unaware of the reality, which is
that the messages carried by Fayyad and Abbas are being warmly received in
Washington.Not only that but the Washington-based Ibish believed that
fruits are being borne as a result of Fayyad's year-long program of
building up his ministry into a serious force along with other Palestinian
institutions.His policies are bringing with them serious investment in the
Palestinian economy and realizing just how serious Fayyad is, the Israelis
have removed an estimated 20 percent of their checkpoints during the last
12 months.The very fact that Fayyad is under fire from people like
Sharkansky "is a measure of his growing success," Ibish said.As for
Tuesday's session in the White House, Sharkansky agr eed that Obama is a
serious player, however, he added that given the upcoming congressional
mid-term elections, Obama is far more concerned with the U.S. economy and
the Gulf of Mexico oil spill than he is with events in the Middle East.As
a result, there will be a round of handshakes but beyond that is a
questionable area.However, Ibish noted that "Obama is actually very
interested in this issue.""It's true that he is dealing with many problems
but the fundamental analysis in Washington is that the key to generalized
success in Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, is to start doing something
positive and this analysis has not changed," he said.While there may be no
concrete news to emanate from the Washington talks, there are rumors in
the United States that Obama will shortly announce that he intends to
visit Israel at some point.Israeli analysts said that announcing the
intention to fly to the Jewish state may win the Democrats more votes in
the upcoming mid-te rms.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English
-- China's official news service for English-language audiences (New China
News Agency))

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5) Back to Top
Syrian President Urges Israel To Elect Truly Pro-Peace Government
Interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Asad by international columnist
Marcelo Cantelmi in Buenos Aires on 3 July: Israel will have to elect a
government that would be a real partner for peace. First paragraph is
Clarins introduction. - Clarin.com
Monday July 5, 2010 21:22:16 GMT
(Cantelmi) Your country's international image has im proved but the world
has gotten worse. With which counterpart can one currently negotiate a way
out of the calamity of the Middle East Crisis?

(Al-Asad) When we speak of a party that is not Israel then we are speaking
of a sponsor or a mediator. In this sense, the most important country is
the United States, regardless of whether it has a good or a bad
administration. The United States can wield all its full weight to support
a peace process when agreements are signed and guarantees are given that
they will be fulfilled.

(Cantelmi) Does the United States currently have that power?

(Al-Asad) So far we have not seen anything practical along these lines
from the United States. There are different tendencies within the US
Administration. We sometimes hear different opinions on the same issue
from US officials. One of the key points is Congress. We are not seeing
this Congress support Barack Obama on any of the issues he has proposed.

(Cantelmi) Are yo u suggesting that there is more weakness rather than
indifference in Obama to undertake what he promised in his famous speech
in Cairo to reach a fair agreement in the region with a true Palestinian
state?

(Al-Asad) If you cannot produce results then you are weak. Strength lies
with being able to get results, not with showing military strength or
through the economy. For example, the relationship with Syria included the
return of the US ambassador, but that has not progressed either. Nor has
the situation in Iraq changed and Afghanistan is worse than before. Our
experience with the United States is that they are not capable of
administering a peace process from beginning to end.

(Cantelmi) And who can?

(Al-Bashar) This is where other countries will play a role and where
Turkey was successful in 2008. So was Brazil. The agreement it signed with
Iran shows its political skill and that it can contribute. In Europe
perhaps France could play a role if it want ed to.

(Cantelmi) Aside from being unfair, is it not a mistake to underestimate a
fascist massacre like the Holocaust that the Nazi dictatorship
perpetrated, as Iran or some other Arab countries do? Doesn't that
attitude benefit the enemies of Arab countries?

(Al-Bashar) We do not underestimate that massacre and the Arabs on the
street do not either. But for several decades the general feeling among
Arabs on the street has been that what is happening with the Palestinians
is precisely a holocaust and that Israel is implementing a fascist policy.
They can repudiate that feeling, but it is a reality.

(Cantelmi) Do you agree that there is a risk of a nuclear arms race in the
Arab world?

(Al-Bashar) If there is one it will be uncontrollable. The danger is that
things will reach their limit and if Israel continues to be a nuclear
country in the military sense that race will begin one day.

(Cantelmi) Does the Iranian nuclear project also feed tha t race?

(Al-Bashar) No, it has no relationship to a nuclear military race and even
if we speak in practical terms, how could such destructive weapons be used
against Israel? There are Palestinians there and perhaps more Palestinians
would be killed than Israelis. It does not make sense. In addition, our
position in Syria is to turn the Middle East into an area free of nuclear
weapons. This is also Argentina's position, which wants to see the entire
world free of such weapons. We want to begin with our region.

(Cantelmi) Syria affirms that it is not proposing the disappearance of the
state of Israel and in Israel there are critics of the isolation your
country has been subjected to. Are these indications of a mature future
relationship between the two countries?

(Al-Bashar) The central problem is the territorial occupation (the Golan
Heights, East Jerusalem, parts of the West Bank). We must ask ourselves if
these pro-dialogue sectors can return territorie s. First, they are not in
government and therefore have no authority. In addition, the majority of
the Israeli population has elected the current extremist government. The
pro-dialogue sectors represent a minority without influence and talks with
them would not produce any results.

(Cantelmi) Once again, doesn't Iran's aggressive strategy -- I am not
referring to the nuclear controversy but rather its apocalyptic messages
-- do a great favor to the Israeli hawks whose power you question?

(Al-Bashar) Look, in Israel there are priests (previous word as published)
who have said that Arabs are snakes who should e exterminated. There are
officials who have called for nuclear bombs to be dropped on Iran. Why do
we examine Iran's comments and not Israel's, too?

(Cantelmi) The United States has not satisfied you. What is happening with
Europe? You forged visible ties with Nicolas Sarkozy, who invited you to
the independence celebrations. What do you expect from that relationship?

(Al-Bashar) The French president is the only person I have seen
enthusiastically in favor of the peace process. We have stimulated that
enthusiasm, but Israel has said that it does not want mediation from any
country.

(Cantelmi) Fears of war are constantly revived in your region: To what
extent can one be optimistic on the future, from your position, for
example?

(Al-Bashar) I am optimistic but also objective. There are two reasons: the
first is that we have no other choice but peace and the second is that,
despite all of the difficult situations we have gone through, the general
opinion of people in the country is to support the peace process. This
makes me feel free and responsible for moving in that direction.

(Cantelmi) Optimism always requires some concrete goal...

(Al-Bashar) Well, I am not optimistic that the current Israeli Government
might become a partner in peace, nor is the Israeli population's election
of an extremist government a source of optimism for me. I have the hope
that somebody in the west, in Europe...will manage to raise awareness so
that the Israeli people can understand that their interests and protection
can only be fulfilled with peace, which is why they must elect a
government that is a real partner for peace, one that truly works for
peace.

(Description of Source: Buenos Aires Clarin.com in Spanish -- Online
version of highest-circulation, tabloid-format daily owned by the Clarin
media group; generally critical of government; URL: http://www.clarin.com)

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Xinhua 'Analysis': Will Biden's Iraq Trip Breath New Life Into Iraq's
Political Deadlock?
Xinhua "Analysis": "Will Biden's Iraq Trip Breath New Life Into Iraq's
Political Deadlock?" - Xinhua
Monday July 5, 2010 20:39:29 GMT
by Song Dan and Jamal Hashem

BAGHDAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden dropped a
surprising visit in Baghdad on Saturday and launched his second visit to
Iraq this year, with a mission of coaxing Iraqi parties to form a new
government as the U.S. forces are scaling back in the country.The vice
president's three-day visit was packed with meetings with Iraqi political
leaders, who are still engaged in picking a new prime minister nearly four
months after the country held its second national parliamentary
elections.However, Iraqi analysts doubt whether Biden's visit would "
dictate" a path for Iraq while the whole country seems to be paralyzed by
the political deadlock.BIDEN'S VISIT STIRS THINGS UPBiden and top U.S.
officials' visits were heavily looked upon by all parts in Iraq, since
there is no single bloc or coalition that has enough power to break the
ice independently under the current circumstance, said some local
analysts.Sabah al-Shiekh, a political professor in Baghdad University,
said in an interview with Xinhua that he believed Biden's visit can stir
things up even though he offered no clear solution to Iraq's on-going
impasses."I believe that his visit came to press Maliki's and Allawi's
blocs to come together to form the new government, and today there is more
possibility that the two blocs are coming closer," he said.He added that
"If it happens, then, the Shiite National Coalition (State of Law and
Iraqi National Alliance) will probably collapse, especially after the two
Shiite parties have failed to reach an understanding over the candidate
for the PM post as Sadr followers rejected Maliki who is the only
candidate for his coalition for the post."Biden's visit can at least break
Iraq's current political stalemate by pressing different factions
together, but the result depends on to what extent each part will
compromise in order to form a government, a local media man refusing to
give his name told Xinhua.NO QUICK FIX FOR IRAQ'S DEADLOCKBiden's
unannounced visit was partly overlapped with another U. S. congress
delegation led by Sen. John McCain, who also set up meetings with Iraqi
top leaders.Unsurprisingly, all the meetings focused on Iraq's current
political, security and economic situations. The dense U.S. visits clearly
indicate that the U.S. government is running out of patience while the
deadline of withdrawal is in sight."Biden's letter is clear, in which the
United States showed its concern about the delay of forming the next
government and urged the two voting front-runners to join each other to
form it as fast as possible," said Shiekh."However, many deep -rooted
problems Iraq is facing cannot be solved overnight, which left not much
room for anyone to maneuver. The agreement between main rivals will not be
reached in a short time, let alone a speedy formation of government," said
the unnamed media man who closely monitors Iraq politics since the U.S.
invasion in 2003."The two blocs (Maliki and Allawi) contain what was
described as snakes and scorpions, referring to some members who are
totally not accepted by the others in the other bloc," said Shiekh."Maliki
has some politicians who were known to Allawi's politicians as corrupts or
accused of sectarianism, on the other hand, some politicians in Allawi's
bloc known to Maliki's politicians as former Baathists or accused of
sectarianism," he added."Therefore, Allawi and Maliki have to hold long
negotiations to either get rid of those snakes and scorpions or to
compromise their presence in the blocs," he said.BIDEN'S VISIT FOR U.S.
OWN SAKEMan y Iraqis and analysts believe that the U.S. only concern is
whether the pullout plan can be launched smoothly, and the alarmingly
mounting U.S. army casualties in Afghanistan is the real reason why
Americans want a quick exit from Iraq."For the Americans, Biden's visit
could be a reaction to the critics of the U.S. administration towards its
policy in Iraq. Those who see the United States is pursuing cut and run
policy from Iraq in order to concentrate on its struggle in Afghanistan
especially with approaching of its troops' pullout from Iraq," Professor
Shiekh said.Last year, the U.S. forces pulled out of major Iraqi cities
and are now working on formally ending combat operations by Sept. 1 of
this year, cutting the U.S. military force from just under 90,000 to
50,000.The security situation in Iraq is not as optimistic as Biden said
upon his arrival in Baghdad. He was welcomed late Sunday by three rounds
of mortar landed in the Green Zone where he was in at that t ime.U.S
troops' withdrawal is still marred by the on-going violence and sporadic
attacks staged by terrorists in Iraqi cities, including the capital,
leaving most of the Iraqi people remain plagued by rising internal
violence and divisions.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English
-- China's official news service for English-language audiences (New China
News Agency))

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7) Back to Top
Writer Views 'Internal, External Problems' Obama Faces on Eve of Netanyahu
Visit
Article by George Sam'an: "Obama and Netanyahu: Who Sets the Agenda?" -
Al-Hayah Online
Monday July 5, 2010 17:48:25 GMT
The US President has not yet healed from the Afghanistan shock and only
two months are left before the US forces begin to pull out from Iraq.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi people are still groping - unable to agree on a new
government due to Iran's dominating interference - while nothing hints
that the visit to Baghdad of his Vice President Joe Biden will achieve the
desired breakthrough. The oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has not
ended yet and the economic situation is hit with a setback every day not
worst of which are the rising unemployment figures. Meanwhile, the
campaigns of the Republicans and some Democrats continue to confront him
with more blows. Finally comes the pulling back and forth with Russia due
to the case of the spies that overturned everything agreed upon with his
Russian counterpart Medvedev and the resurrection of Russia's fears from
the new "missile agreement" that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton c
oncluded in Poland. But the most serious of these hot problems remains the
inability of George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East, to make any
worthwhile progress after 20 rounds of proximity negotiations between the
Israelis and Palestinians! On top of all this, the congressional mid-term
elections in November - a decisive and fateful date - are casting their
shadow on these issues. If the Democrats succeed in holding on to the
majority, the talks with the rightist government in Tel Aviv may take a
different tone. At present, Obama does not need another problem with Tel
Aviv.

As for Netanyahu, he is coming to Washington pursued by his Foreign
Minister Avigdor Lieberman who is tying the hands of the Foreign Ministry
regarding the negotiations with the Palestinians and obstructing these
negotiations. Lieberman's stands are increasing Israel's isolation on the
international level and he is threatening his prime minister with early
elections to win over the leader ship of the right from the Likud although
his party - Yisrael Beituna - came third in the parliamentary elections
last year. Netanyahu is also being pursued by the escalating domestic
campaign to solve the problem of the captive soldier Gil'ad Shalit and the
international campaign that wants him to end the siege of the Gaza Strip.
He is also being pursued by the exacerbating crisis with Turkey and the
resulting prospect of losing an old Muslim ally. Moreover, Netanyahu does
not need another problem with Washington in light of his growing fears
related to the European stands that oppose the policies of the Israeli
right regarding the negotiations and the siege of Gaza.

Thus, the taking of firm stands is deferred although time seems to be
pressing: The deadline for freezing settlement construction activities has
three months to expire, the Arab mandate given to PA President Mahmud
Abbas ends after about two months, and the primary elections in the United
States still ha ve four months to go. What is more important than all of
the above is that none of the parties concerned has a clear vision of what
the situation will be like when the dates of these requireme nts arrive
with the exception perhaps of Netanyahu who does not seem to want any
political progress. And as the Egyptian Foreign Minister is threatening
that the Arab leaders will resort to the Security Council to bring about
the two-state solution, the PA president denies that the Palestinian
intend to resort to a unilateral step - such as going to the Security
Council - if the negotiations indeed fail. In a recent address to the
Israelis, he said: "We discussed in the Arab League what will happen if we
do not reach a solution. The Arab countries said that we will go to the
Security Council after we consult with our friends, including the United
States and Europe. Some understood this in a wrong way and claimed that we
want to take a unilateral step. But this is incorrect. The si gned
agreements stipulate that neither side can take unilateral steps that
impede a permanent agreement".

Of course, President Obama can outline in detail to his guest what his
Administration has done so far to dissipate Israel's fears about Iran and
its nuclear file starting with the almost unanimous international
consensus on the new package of sanctions on the Islamic Republic; to the
more painful separate American-European sanctions; to the reiteration of
the US commitment to provide security for its strategic partner and ensure
its military superiority; to the attempt to mend relations between Turkey
and the Jewish state; and to the efforts to alleviate the international
isolation that Tel Aviv is facing. Moreover, the President does not need
to warn his guest against the venture of dealing a military blow to the
Iranian nuclear facilities because Israel itself is convinced that it
would be difficult to stop the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.
Israe l is also convinced of the inefficacy of such a blow as well as the
dangers involved in undertaking such a venture. In return, Obama
definitely does not want his initiative on the solution of the Palestinian
problem on the basis of two states to fail. This is a commitment that
cannot be sacrificed because that would mean that his Administration and
the United States as a whole would totally lose the trust of the Arab and
Muslim worlds. Although he failed to impose a final stop to the building
of settlements, he will ask his guest anew to stop the policy of
settlement building after the temporary deadline of this policy expires in
September in return for persuading the PA to engage in direct
negotiations. Can the Likud leader respond as he comes to Washington
carrying an advance decision from his party not to renew the freeze on
settlement building activities and after demolishing Palestinian homes in
eastern Jerusalem and after taking token measures regarding the Gaza Strip
that are useless in alleviating the suffering of the beleaguered people?

President Obama does not trust his guest as a result of past experiences.
So far, he experienced him in the faltering march of the indirect
negotiations and in his appeasement and placation of his Foreign Minister
Lieberman in all the extremist stands that are the origin of the problem
instead of forming a coalition with Kadima. What the US President wants at
this stage is to use the lost time to preserve the minimum level of calm
in the region because the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq require
special attention and care in these two months. Until Obama launches a
peace plan and imposes it on the parties concerned - perhaps after the
mid-term elections - he will try at this stage to persuade Netanyahu to
stop settlement construction activities in return for moving from indirect
to direct negotiations although he believes that the rightist government
in Israel does not wish to see a Palestinia n state neither after one year
nor two nor three. Lieberman expressed this very clearly. Parallel to his
concern for continued negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis,
Obama will remind his guest that the US Administration is proceeding with
its efforts to encourage Syria to distance itself from Iran, once warning
it against the dangers of the Iranian motives in the region, once raising
the issue of the arms that Damascus is supplying to Hizballah, once
raising the subject of the Iranian radar stations installed on Syrian
territory, and once with releasing US reports about calls or inclinations
to start a direct dialogue with Hizballah and HAMAS. If each time the
United States needs to talk to Syria or other allies of HAMAS or Hizballah
why does it not address them directly? How can the one that is trying to
engage the Taliban in Afghanistan in a dialogue justify his refusal to
recognize HAMAS and Hizballah and open a dialogue with them although there
is a big dif ference between the two movements in the Middle East and the
one in Central Asia?

(Description of Source: London Al-Hayah Online in Arabic -- Website of
influential Saudi-owned London pan-Arab daily. URL:
http://www.daralhayat.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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Taleban close main highway to Afghan south, set light to vehicles - Afghan
Islamic Press
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:31 GMT
vehicles

Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news
agencyKabul, 5 July: The Taleban closed the Kabul-Kandahar highway for
several hours today, 5 July, and destr oyed at least 20 foreign forces'
supply vehicles.A local Taleban spokesman Mohammad told Afghan Islamic
Press (AIP) over the telephone from Salar area of Wardag Province: "More
then 60 Taleban mojahedin closed the highway in the Salar area and set
light to 10 foreign forces' supply vehicles damaging at least ten more"He
added :"American forces also arrived in the area during the operation and
started military operations in the villages nearby. The Americans
surrounded Sherkhel and Garde Kala villages and a couple of minutes ago
they blew the house of a man named Ajab Gol."Regarding casualties caused
by the Taleban, Mohammad told AIP: "I do not know the exact figures of
casualties but it is clear that the enemy has suffered grave casualties"He
said the Taleban also attacked a foreign forces' convoy going to Jaghato
District of Wardag Province and destroyed a foreign forces' vehicle. He
said the casualties were evacuated by a helicopter that arriv ed at the
scene later.A local resident also told AIP that the highway was closed by
the Taleban from 1100 (local time) today until late in the afternoon. He
added that foreign forces had surrounded some villages in the area.The
Taleban closed the highway at a time when one of their commanders,
Mohammad Tawab, was killed in NATO air strikes in the area.Mohammad said:
"It is the biggest attack since the martyrdom of Mullah Mohammad Tawab.
The enemy should not presume that the Taleban will be weakened by the
martyrdom of one commander. The Taleban can target the enemy at any
time."Shahedollah Shahed, the spokesman for the provincial governor of
Wardag Province also acknowledged that the Taleban had attacked convoys
and closed the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat highway for a number of hours.Shahed
told AIP that six supply convoy vehicles have been destroyed and two
people have been killed.ISAF press office in Kabul confirmed the incident
and told AIP that they have not suffered any loses in the
attacks.Observers believe that the attack on the Kabul-Kandahar highway
and the Taleban's ability to shut the highway for several hours show that
the Taleban are still strong. The Taleban have had the upper hand in this
area in the past four years. Foreign and domestic forces have been unable
to break the Taleban resistance in the area or at least securing the
highway from Taleban attacks amides launching several operations.
Government employees are unable to travel on the highway.A resident of
Ghazni had told AIP in an interview earlier that travelling on the
Kabul-Kandahar highway was very hard.(Description of Source: Peshawar
Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto -- Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto
-- Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans, that describes itself as an
independent "news agency" but whose history and reporting pattern reveal a
perceptible pro-Taliban bias; the AIP's founder-director, Mohammad Yaqub
Sharafat, has long been assoc iated with a mujahidin faction that merged
with the Taliban's "Islamic Emirate" led by Mullah Omar; subscription
required to access content; http://www.afghanislamicpress.com)

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9) Back to Top
Pakistan Press Nawa-e Waqt 05 Jul 10
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735. - Nawa-e Waqt
Monday July 5, 2010 16:48:40 GMT
pictures on page 1 show Interior Minister Rehman Malik talking to the
media after meeting of religious scholars on suicide attacks in country,
bodies of those killed in F-10 secto r of Islamabad being brought to a
local hospital. The lower half of the page is covered by advertisements.
Lead Story: Report by Suhail Abdul Nasir: US, Indian objections turned
down; permission not required from anyone for civil nuclear cooperation
with Pakistan: China; US spokesman says we are waiting for details

In a statement in Washington, the Chinese Embassy has said that agreement
with Pakistan is in the IAEA framework laws, and no one should have
objections. (pp 1, 9; 600 words) BBC/ Report by special correspondent:
Decision to launch action against 17 banned organizations in Punjab; Sunni
Ittehad Council demands dismissal of provincial law minister; protest,
strikes, rallies continue against Data Shrine tragedy (pp 1, 9; 1,500
words) Report by special correspondent: No use of attending meeting;
government has failed in protecting shrines: Mufti Munib, tanzeem-ul
madaris ahle-sunnat chief (pp 1, 9; 800 words) Report by special
correspondent: Effective strategy against terrorism; important meeting to
be held on 5 July with prime minister in chair (pp 1, 9; 200 words) NNI
report: Seeds of terrorism sown during period of dictatorship: President
Asif Ali Zardari (pp 1, 9; 200 words) NNI report: Joint strategy will have
to be prepared at national level to tackle terrorism: Chief Minister
Punjab Shahbaz Sharif (pp 1, 9; 300 words) Report by special
correspondent: Third force wants to orchestrate riots; antiterror laws
being further tightened: Interior Minister Rehman Malik; religious
scholars of all denominations meet interior minister, assure support of
government (pp 1, 9; 800 words) APP report: IMF hints at accepting sales
tax instead of VAT (pp 1, 9; 300 words) Report by special correspondent:
General Petraeus likely to visit Pakistan next week (pp 1, 9; 100 words)
NNI report: We will win despite growing deaths; June proved deadliest: Gen
Petraeus (pp 1, 9; 400 words) NNI report: Zardari to embark on six-day
visit to China on 6 Jul y (pp 1, 9; 300 words) Page 2: News From
Islamabad, Rawalpindi

Page 2 has a column besides local news and advertisements. Column by Taiba
Zia: Politics on Data Shrine tragedy

The column discusses allegations being leveled by the Pakistan People's
Party (PPP) leaders against the Punjab Government after tragic suicide
attacks on the most revered shrine of Data Gunj Bukhsh. (1,200 words)
Column by Marvi Memon: Open letter to prime minister; budget and Kashmir
cause

The column discusses cut in the budget of Azad (Pakistan-administered)
Kashmir Government by the federal government. (800 words) Page 3:
National, International Reports

The page 3 has national and international news. ANN report: Taliban claim
killing over 20 NATO, Afghan soldiers in Paktika; eyewitnesses say three
suicide assailants entered into Murgha camp and blew themselves up (pp 3,
10; 200 words) Report by special correspondent: Parliament should get
resolution on prevention of drone attacks implemented: Hashmat Habib,
president defense of judiciary movement (pp 3, 10; 300 words) Page 4: News
From Suburbs Column by Dr Ajmal Niazi: From Data's Shrine to Meo Hospital

The column decries attack on famous shrine of Lahore. (1,200 words) Page
5: Business, Commerce Page 6: Reports From Districts; Continuation of
Reports From Other Pages Report by special correspondent: Government
should exert pressure on US for return of Dr Afia Siddiqui: NGO Pasban (p
6; 100 wor ds) Report from news desk: Politics under guise of Data Shrine
tragedy deplorable: Kahskar Tehrik (p 6; 200 words) Page 7: Classified Ads
Page 8: Continuation of Reports From Other Pages Report by special
correspondent: Pervez Musharraf had arranged fake degrees for over 200
MPs; Musharraf, his disciples, some intelligence agencies have record of
fake degrees (p 8; 300 words) Report from monitoring desk: Foreign hand
can be involved in Data Shrine blasts: Minister for religious affairs (p
8; 100 words) Report from monitoring desk: I would have ended terrorism in
90 days if I had been prime minister: Imran Khan, chief of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (p 8; 100 words) Report by special correspondent: Data
Shrine; action will be taken against those responsible for flawed
security: Punjab police chief (p 8; 200 words) APP report: End of NATO
mission in Afghanistan to begin in 2011: Hillary Clinton (p 8; 100 words)
Report by special correspondent: Kashmir issue will be resolved by waging
jihad in way of God, not by dialogue: Qazi Hussein Ahmed, chief of
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) (p 8; 200 words) NNI report: Fake degrees; way being
paved for mid-term elections: BBC(p 8; 600 words) Report by special
correspondent: Governor's rule should be imposed on Sind to prevent target
killings: Rahmat Vardag, Tehreek-e-Istaqlal president; US Taliban involved
in attack on Data Shrine (p 8; 400 words) Page 9: Continuation of Reports
From Other Pages Page 10: Continuation of Reports From Other Pa ges Page
11: Sports World Page 12: National, International Reports

Picture on page 12 shows religious scholars, political leaders, and
traders holding joint protest demonstration against Data Shrine tragedy.
The lower half of the page is covered by advertisements. NNI news report:
All-party conference to divert attention from Data Shrine tragedy crude
joke with nation: Munawar Hassan

The JI chief has said that the incident have bowed our heads with shame.
The interior minister has become mouthpiece of Blackwater (pp 8, 12; 500
words) APP report: Joint strategy against terrorism; prime minister
convenes national conference next week; leadership of major political,
religious parties to attend conference (pp 8, 12; 200 words) Report by
special correspondent: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) patronizing
terrorists in Punjab: PPP spokesperson Fauzia Wahab; it will have to
change policy (pp 8, 12; 300 words) Report by special correspondent:
Differences between to p PPP leadership on fake degrees issue (pp 8, 12;
100 words) NNI report: Five suspected persons arrested for entering into
Punjab via Eisa Khel from Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (pp 8, 12; 100 words) Report
from news agencies: Kohat; three killed in remote bomb blast; one militant
killed (pp 8, 12; 200 words) Report by special correspondent: Firing on
personnel of Shabqadar Rifles; three killed (pp 8, 12; 200 words) Report
by special correspondent: Weapons not being carried to NATO in Afghanistan
via Pakistan: ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) spokesman (pp
8, 12; 200 words) Report by special correspondent: President's visit to
China; some members of delegation leave for Beijing (pp 8, 12; 100 words)
Report by Ittrat Jaffery: Industrial Ministry starts investigations into
utility stores mega corporation scandal (pp 8, 12; 400 words) Page 13:
Children's Page Page 14: Editorial, Lead Articles

Page 14 has editorials and articles besides the regular gossip column &quo
t;By the way" and regular series of Islamic teachings from the Koran. It
also has couplets from Allama Iqbal and Muzaffar Warsi, and a saying of
Qaid-e-Azam. Edit orial: Invasion of federal rulers on Punjab after Data
Shrine tragedy; consensus between prime minister, Nawaz Sharif to convene
national conference

The editorial discusses statement of Nawaz Sharif in which he termed
terrorism dangerous for national security and urged for collaboration
between federal, provincial governments to work together for its
elimination. It is also welcoming that in their telephonic conversation,
Prime Minister Gilani and Nawaz Sharif agreed to convene national
conference to devise strategy to end terrorism. (1,200 words) Editorial:
Ban by so-called secular state on Friday prayers in Occupied
(India-administered) Kashmir

The editorial decries ban by India on Friday congregation in all major
mosques of Occupied Kashmir. (200 words) Editorial: New US game in
Afghanistan

The editorial discusses the US plan to assign a role to the enemy of the
Muslims, India in Afghanistan before leaving the country. This is being
done with the collision between Gen Petraeus and UN in charge of Afghan
affairs. (200 words) Article by Javed Qureshi: War on terror, lack of
political harmony (1,200 words) Article by Dr Hussein Ahmed Piracha:
Center of love, affection also target of terrorism (1,000 words) Article
by Amirah Ahsan: Waiter! Take name of God (part-I)

The article claims that philosophy behind war on terror is dying natural
death. (800 words) Page 15: Articles

Page 15 has articles on national and international issues. Article by
Asghar Ali Shad: We were looking for some miracle

The article discusses military take over in 1977. (800 words) Article by
Mohammad Saad Subhani: What sort of people?

The article discusses fake degrees by MPs. (800 words) Article by Khalid
Nawaz: New style to blackmail Pakistan (1,000 words) Art icle by Fazal
Hussain Awan: Mission possible-impossible (600 words) Page 16: Feature
Reports Report by Sajjad Tirin: India evading resolution of problems at
platform of SAARC; consensus on setting up Interpol like police
institution could not be agreed on because of Indian opposition (1,500
words) Report by Jawad Khalid: Four-day SAARC interior ministers'
conference; what lost, what gained? (800 words)

(Description of Source: Rawalpindi Nawa-e Waqt in Urdu -- Privately owned,
widely read, conservative Islamic daily, with circulation around 125,000.
Harshly critical of the US and India)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

10) Back to Top
Clinton Hails Georgia's Participation In Afghan Operation - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 16:44:58 GMT
intervention)

TBILISI, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on
Monday emphasized the importance of Georgia' s participation in the
peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan.Georgia actively participates in the
peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan and makes a major contribution to
the process of establishing peace and stability there, she said at a
briefing with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.Hillary Clinton said
the USA thanked the Georgian leadership and Georgian peacekeepers for
taking part in that operation. The strength of the Georgian military
contingent in Afghanistan is 925 military.(Description of Source: Moscow
ITAR-TASS in English -- Main government information agency)

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source cited. Permission for use mus t be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

11) Back to Top
US Pushing India Into Afghanisthan To Tar Islamic Character
Editorial: "India Has No Role in Afghanistan" - Nawa-e Waqt
Monday July 5, 2010 16:43:41 GMT
While making decisions with regard to Afghanistan, the US officials must
keep in mind that this is not another US state. Only the local population
have an understanding of Afghan affairs. The United States is suffering
losses because of its inability to understand Afghanistan. The United
Sates is pushing India into Afghanistan because India can tarnish the
Islamic character and identity of the Afghan people. India is using the
Afghan Government's sources and soil to destabilize Pakistan at the behest
of the United States. India is not playing any other role except opening a
front against Pakistan by providing false information to the United States
and the Afghan Government. In addition, it is providing training and arms
to the armed terrorists in the Pakistani tribal areas and Balochistan
Province.

The US officials are following the policy of ruining the Islamic countries
and are obsessed with the idea of occupying the Islamic countries'
resources, and India is their supporter in this connection. India has been
told that peace is not possible in this region until the Kashmir issue is
resolved. India is constantly striving to delay these dialogues. According
to the Indian external affairs minister, it (the Kashmir issue) needs more
talks than ever. Then why do they not hold talks? India has reduced the
negotiations to a "joke night" (distortion of Urdu word for
"negotiations").

Leaving the Afghan people on their own, the United St ates should leave
Afghanistan instead of facing further degradation. The Afghan people
themselves will take care of their problems. Pakistan is ready to help
those brothers. When millions of Afghans find themselves in distress, they
come to Pakistan to take refuge and earn their living.

(Description of Source: Rawalpindi Nawa-e Waqt in Urdu -- Privately owned,
widely read, conservative Islamic daily, with circulation around 125,000.
Harshly critical of the US and India.)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

12) Back to Top
Pakistan Author Says Afghan Reconciliation Only Way For Honorable US, NATO
Exit
Article by Dr Raja Muhammad Khan: Afghan Reconciliation: Only Way
Forward - Pakistan Observer Online
Monday July 5, 2010 10:25:14 GMT
At the concluding session of the G-20 Summit, held at Toronto, Canada,
President Obama declared the Pakistan's Afghan settlement efforts as
"useful". Without making a direct reference about the parties taking part
in the reconciliation process, the US President said that, "conversations
between the Afghan government and the Pakistani government, building trust
between those two governments, are a useful step". While giving a tacit
approval of the reconciliation process, President Obama emphasized on the
political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. He even gave implicit
approval for the inclusion of Taliban in the process of reconciliation.
Indeed, Pakistan has long been emphasizing on the reconciliation of all
Afghan groups including the Taliban for the establishment of a broad based
government in its neighbourhood. Pakistan perceives that, reconciliation
is the only way for a durable peace in that country.

Although much delayed, but the process of reconciliation has at last
initiated and now being supported by most of the stakeholders. The United
Kingdom has also supported the reconciliation process. Its Army Chief
during a recent statement fully backed the process. The British Foreign
Minister, Mr Hague has visited Pakistan and appreciated the role played by
Pakistan in curbing the scourge of terrorism. After all, war is not the
solution of any issue. The decade old war in Afghanistan has not led to a
solution of the issue. Continuation of an indefinite war is in the
interest of neither the US and NATO nor the Karazai administration.
Therefore, there is no need to make it an issue of the prestige as far as
the US hierarchy is concerned. After all this war is proving to be longest
drawn war in the history of U.S and economically insupportable. Wars are
fought to attain certain aims and objectives in the shortest possible
time. If staying in the region is the ultimate aim, then, US may linger on
it indefinitely. However, it will have to satisfy the domestic audience,
once the families of the US and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan are
continuously receiving the dead bodies of their loved ones back home.

With the same perception, the newly appointed US Military Commander in
Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, apparently supported the
reconciliation process. General Petraeus, has recently replaced General
Stanley Mac Crystal, who was sacked by Predident Obama on being critical
to the US political leadership. During his confirmation hearing, in front
of the Armed Services Committee, General Petraeus told the Chairman of the
Committee, Senator, Carl Levin, that, "Pakistani involvement in some form
of reconciliation agreement, I think that is essential". He further told
the Committee that, "Clearly, we want to forge a p artnership or further
the partnership that has been developing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Those countries are always going to be neighbours. And helping them
develop a constructive relationship would be an important contribution".

There have been reports that President Karazai has met the key Taliban
elements like Sirajuddin Haqqani in connection with the reconciliation
among the various Afghan groups. However, these reports did not get
official confirmation, as General Petraeus referred his telephonic
conversation with Afghan President during the senate confirmation, who
denied any such meeting in the recent days. The new military commander in
Afghanistan has boldly accepted the fact that, it was on the U.S
requirement in 1980s that Pakistan established a linkage with notables of
Afghanistan to form Mujahedeen against the former Soviet Union. Therefore,
if those connections are still intact, there is no harm in that. After all
Pakistan and Afghanistan are two neighbours, who share common culture,
traditions and above all the same religion.

Yet another acknowledgement made by General Petraeus on the Pakistani
contributions is that, "We can facilitate the dialogue, participate in the
dialogue, be an honest broker, we are friends to both. We are enormously
enabling both. Pakistan is in a tough fight. One of its fights, by the
way, is to keep our lines of communication open." According to a BBC
report, Taliban has refused to negotiate with the Afghan Government until
the withdrawal of the foreign forces from the Afghan soil. These were
indeed the apprehensions of President Obama and CIA Director Leon Panetta,
while the news of the reconciliation was spread all around.

After a deliberate analysis of the statements of various US officials, it
appears that still US intends using the policy of 'stick and carrot' for
the solution of Afghan issue. As in the past, the new General also wants
to maintain an upper hand, even if the reconciliation process goes on. The
General think that Taliban should be first defeated in the field and then
negotiated from the position of weakness. Such strong threats may not
acceptable to Taliban, therefore, would lead to further fuelling the
already fragile situation.

It seems that US has not learnt a lesson from the Marjah Operation,
launched in February 2010. Now, if General Petraeus is planning a similar
operation in Kandahar, he must understand that, the fate of that operation
would not be very different from the Marjah Operation. At this critical
juncture, the hammering of Taliban in the field would not be possible for
US. Rather, this would be a futile exercise, might results into killing of
innocent Afghans, as it has been happening since October 2001.

In order to support his own point of view, the General feels that still a
considerable time is required before the security responsibilities can be
taken over by the Afghan forces themselves. As he elaborated, "It is going
to be a number of years before Afghan forces can truly handle the security
tasks in Afghanistan on their own. The commitment to Afghanistan is
necessarily, therefore, an enduring one and neither neither the Taliban
nor our Afghan and Pakistani partners should doubt that".

General Petraeus has joined his new assignments, the Afghan war theatre
with a lot of bewilderment in his mind. In the first phase, he has to
disprove the thought process of General Stanley Mac Crystal that NATO and
US forces are losing the Afghan war. To change this perception, he would
depend on the summer offensive in Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold. The
operation if conducted would be a serious setback to the reconciliation
process, started by President Karazai. It would rather be a
counterproductive effort, leading to the addition in the Taliban strength.
Otherwise, Taliban Movement is taking the shape of Afghan National
Resistance Movement a gainst oppressive foreign occupation. The General
should bear in mind that irrespective of his military power, Taliban could
be neither subdued nor defeated. Could they defeat them in last ten years?
Rather, Taliban became more powerful than they ever were. Therefore, the
wisdom demand that General Petraeus, otherwise a mature professional
soldier should analyse the ground realities in Afghanistan, before
deciding for a major military operation in that country.

The General must support the reconciliation process, as this is the only
way leading to an honourable exit of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan.
Moreover, he must follow the timeline for the withdrawal of US forces from
Afghanistan through a gradual process, rather immediate "switching off the
lights." Though he acknowledged himself, the role Pakistan would be very
significant in the Afghan peace, as Afghanistan and Pakistan are part of
same society, hence cannot be separated. Therefore, Pakistan's
contributions should not be relegated to accommodate the interests of a
non-contiguous country, like India. It should be remembered that except a
few leaders of the Northern Alliance, Afghans are highly allergic to
Indian role in their country.

--The writer is an IR analyst.

(Description of Source: Islamabad Pakistan Observer Online in English --
Website of the pro-military daily with readership of 5,000. Anti-India,
supportive of Saudi policies, strong supporter of Pakistan's nuclear and
missile program. Chief Editor Zahid Malik is the author of books on
nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan; URL: http://www.pakobserver.net)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

13) Back to Top
ROK Editorial Mulls on 'Change of Command' in Multinational Force in
Afghanistan
Editorial: "Change of Command" - The Korea Herald Online
Monday July 5, 2010 09:20:08 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

14) Back to Top
Daily Hails Islamabad-Kabul Accord on Afghan Army Officers Training in
Pakistan
Editorial: Training Afghan Soldiers - Business Recorder Online
Monday July 5, 2010 09:30:28 GMT
EDITORIAL (July 05 2010): The Afghan government's decision to send a group
of military officers to Pakistan for training is welcome, for it tends to
shed the Tajik-dominated Afghan National Army (ANA) of its lingering Cold
War pro-India, anti-Pakistan mindset.

The decision has been reported by Rangin Dadfar Spanta, President Karzai's
national security advisor, who told the Washington Post that the
"agreement has been worked out" under which a "limited" number of officers
would be going to Pakistan. According to him, the move is meant "to
demonstrate confidence to Pakistan, in the hope of encouraging them to
begin a serious consultation and conversation with us on the issue of
Taliban". Until now, the Afghan National Army (ANA) was being trained by
the Nato forces under a US-funded programme and some 300 Afghan soldiers
are being trained under bilateral a greements in other countries,
including Turkey and India. That, for the first time, Afghan officers
would be coming to Pakistan for training amply suggests that a paradigm
shift is now underway as the endgame of the Afghan war nears.

Pakistan's offer to train the Afghan armed forces has been on the table
for quite some time, but it was not taken up thanks to the hostile lobby
in Kabul - which is as much anti-Pushtun as it is pro-India. With the
option to reintegrate the Taliban, who are mostly Pushtun, now coming to
the fore, Pakistan has emerged as a potential peacemaker in Afghanistan.
But it cannot play any role as long as a pro-Indian mindset prevails in
the Afghan military establishment. "Strategically, we cannot have an army
on our western border which has an Indian mindset. If we have an army
trained in Pakistan, there would be better interactions on the western
border," General Kayani told Nato during a visit to its headquarters in
Brussels. He deliv ered the same message to President Karzai when the
latter visited here in March. It appears that the Afghan president has now
begun to see Pakistan as a necessary ally in ending the war through
negotiations with the Taliban. No wonder then, the decision to send
military officers for training to Pakistan has come quick on the heels of
his sacking the Afghan minister for Interior and the Intelligence chief,
the two top-level Tajik officials in Kabul who largely acted as promoters
of Indian interests in Afghanistan.

With Obama's July-2011 commencement of the troop drawdown deadline staring
in the face, the coalition forces have every reason to worry about the
power vacuum they would leave behind. What to do with the Taliban if they
remained un-reconciled by the time of the Nato pullout? Obviously then,
they would precipitate another spell of civil war in Afghanistan. It is
here that Pakistan's special relationship, embedded in the Afghan Jihad
and continuing since, in my riad ways, becomes handy. While it can
possibly convince the Taliban to come to the negotiating table and join
the Karzai government, the Afghan Army trained by it would be willing to
welcome the Taliban in its ranks. The logic of this argument appears to be
sinking in with the United States and its allies in the Afghan war,
including General Petraeus, President Obama's new commander in
Afghanistan. He thinks that the United States wants to "forge a
partnership or further the partnership that has been developing between
Afghanistan and Pakistan".

(Description of Source: Karachi Business Recorder Online in English --
Website of a leading business daily. The group also owns Aaj News TV; URL:
http://www.brecorder.com/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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15) Back to Top
Russia May Shortly Remove Differences At Talks On WTO (Adds) - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:30 GMT
intervention)

ASTANA, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - Russia has a chance to remove differences at
talks with partners on its WTO bid, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor
Shuvalov told reporters on Monday.The official reminded reporters about
the task set by the president - arrive at necessary agreements with
partners, including with the USA, on WTO membership. He said the
negotiating group of the Customs Union (Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus),
set up last year, holds talks with the USA and the European Union on
forming a common stance."We have all chances to remove these differences
within the next few weeks," he added."Presidents will decide how to finish
the process of en try tactfully," Shuvalov noted.At a joint with the U.S.
president news conference in Washington on June 25, President Dmitry
Medvedev said a decision had been reached to fix September 30, 2010 as the
date for coordinating all remaining problems on Russia's entry into the
World Trade Organisation."Some technical nuances remain, on which our
teams have got an impetus to work as quickly as possible, and we hope this
work will be finished before September. We have discussed it today and
that is what we agreed on," he added."Basic agreements on the Customs
Union are based on norms of the WTO and the EU, that is why the door to
WTO entry is open," Shuvalov stressed. He emphasized that Russia believes
the formation of the Customs Union and a common economic space in the
future is a positive fact. "For us this means that a vast market,
incorporating three states, has been formed, and this gives new
possibilities to entrepreneurs of the three countries&q uot;He said the
common economic space would become the highest level of integration. "In
the common economic space, we will unify all rules of economic live, this
is a very quick pace of integration," he added.Shuvalov reminded the
audience that the rules of the Customs Union went into effect in Russia
and Kazakhstan starting from July 1, while the single customs territory of
Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will be formed on July 6.He said the
Customs Code simplifies customs procedures and introduces more
preferential treatment. Shuvalov admitted, however, that "not all
procedures have been worked through, and some difficulties are possible on
the border". "We are ready for removing these problems as quick as
possible," he added.Shuvalov believes this will take several weeks. He
said special headquarters had been set at the Ministry for Economic
Development and the Customs Service where all who faced difficulties could
apply.(Description of Sourc e: Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main
government information agency)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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16) Back to Top
Iran foreign minister meets senior Afghan diplomat in Tehran - Press TV
Monday July 5, 2010 07:12:27 GMT
Text of report in English by Iranian news channel Press TV on 5
July(Presenter over video of the meeting) Iran's Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki says the current situation in Afghanistan is much worse
than it was before the US-led invasion in 2001.Mottaki was speaking with
the visiting Afghan deputy foreign minister, Mohammad Eklil Ahmad Hakimi,
in Tehran. He expressed c oncern over the rising poppy cultivation in
Afghanistan despite the presence of foreign forces. Mottaki said the
number of extremist groups has increased while the so-called fight against
terror continues.The Iranian foreign minister also referred to Iran's
unwavering support for the Afghan nation.Hakimi, for his part, praised
Tehran's efforts to establish peace and stability in
Afghanistan.(Description of Source: Tehran Press TV in English -- 24-hour
English-language news channel of Iranian state-run television, officially
controlled by the office of the supreme leader)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

17) Back to Top
Pakistan Article Urges US To Withdraw From Afghanistan Sooner Than Later
Article by Aijaz Zaka Syed: Nowhere Near Victory - The News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 07:06:20 GMT
Monday, July 05, 2010

There's something surreal about the rise and fall of General Stanley
McChrystal. The dramatic departure of the US and NATO commander in
Afghanistan has drawn inevitable parallels with General Douglas MacArthur,
arguably World War II's most brilliant commander and America's top
commander in yet another forgotten war on a forgotten front.

Like General MacArthur, who defied President Harry S Truman to expand the
Korean war into China bringing on his own fall, McChrystal has been
brought down by his own hubris. He grew too big for his shoes taking the
legends of his own brilliance as a commander and military strategist
seriously.

If the success in World War II and the Korean war went to General
MacArthur's head, the brutal 'success' in Iraq and the subsequent
lionisation in Afghanistan seem to have affected General McChrystal
excessively.

In a fleeting moment of weakness, the general lost sight of the fact that
the real boss and commander-in-chief is the president -- a costly mistake
first made by the other Mac in the Korean war -- and paid for it dearly.
If Obama had chosen not to act, he would have been seen as a wimp, even a
sissy by the gun-toting Americans who love their wars and take their
commander-in-chief and his job to rule the world rather seriously.

Besides, those tearful tributes in the western media - and even in the
Middle East - to General McChrystal are exaggerated and far from
justified. Some Afghan and Pakistani officials have waxed eloquent about
McChrystal's 'humanitarian concerns' recounting how the general helped
bring down civilian casualties. They would do well to visit Kim Sengupta's
shocking revelations in the UK's Independent this week detailing how the
'hero' o f the Afghan war played a killer in Iraq.

For five years, the two-star general and his trigger-happy boys sat in a
secret command centre and used the banks of television screens and
controls to kill at will, blindly and remotely targeting densely populated
civilian areas. No wonder they called it the Death Star or Kill TV because
you could "just reach out with a finger and eliminate" somebody. This is
how the Special Forces eliminated tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians and
'usual suspects'. This is how the toll of civilian casualties crossed over
a million in Iraq. And this is precisely why McChrystal was picked up by
General David Petraeus and his bosses in Washington for the top job in
Afghanistan. So much for the general's celebrated approach of 'courageous
restraint' and peacemaking in the badlands of Afghanistan!

If McChrystal had asked his boys to go easy, as some claim he did, in
raining death on unsuspecting people on the ground, it beats me why
innocents still continue to get killed in Afghanistan. Just Google and see
how many civilians have paid with their lives in the west's directionless,
disastrous war.

Between 5,000 and 8,000 civilian deaths have taken place this year alone
as a direct result of coalition strikes, as against 4,000-6,000 victims of
insurgent attacks. This June has been equally disastrous, and the
deadliest month, for the coalition since the invasion.

So no matter who leads the western coalition in Afghanistan, little is
going to change on the ground. Let's face it: this is a lost cause, if
ever there was one. This war was lost even before it was launched. A
mission impossible, if ever there was one. McChrystal knew this.

In fact, as Ray McGovern has argued in a scathing piece, McChrystal might
actually have wanted to be fired - and rescued from the current March of
Folly in Afghanistan, by shooting off his mouth about "the wimps in the
White House."

Th e sooner Obama confronts this reality the better for him and for
everyone concerned. Especially when this mess is not of his making. It
beats me why someone who stuck out his neck to courageously oppose the
attack on Iraq and even voted against it as a senator should stick to his
guns on Afghanistan and is determined to fight a lost war.

In the face of unprecedented euphoria around the world over his historic
election, the Nobel Peace laureate president has chosen to go along with
the fiction that this is a good war'. A war variously promoted as the war
on terror to a mission to promote democracy and freedom, depending on who
is spinning the Goebbelsian wheel.

However, nearly a decade on, the coalition is still fighting in the dark
and is nowhere near victory or at least a face-saving mission-accomplished
kind of withdrawal.

A new Newsweek opinion poll survey warns that Afghanistan is fast eating
into Obama's popularity ratings. A huge and disturbing maj ority -- 53 per
cent -- now disapproves of the way Obama has handled almost every major
challenge confronting his administration -- a complete reversal from only
four months ago.

More important, while a full 50 per cent of Americans approve of his
handling of the McChrystal disaster, the controversy and general's views
on the Afghan mission have raised serious doubts about the war in American
minds.

What was once a 'good and right war' for much of the US establishment --
as against the disaster of Iraq -- is now being increasingly questioned at
home and around the world. Even worse, no one, including the Americans,
seems to have a clue what this war is all about anymore and what the
goalposts are, if any, of the western coalition.

As the Rolling Stone story has reminded the Americans, Afghanistan has now
beaten Vietnam to become the longest running US war. Even after pouring
trillions of dollars into this bottomless pit, victory eludes the
mightiest army on the planet and its powerful allies.

And the longer the US and other western powers refuse to face this reality
and the imminent outcome of this war, the greater the cost for both sides.
If Obama doesn't act now, Afghanistan is sure to end up as his Vietnam.
Perhaps even worse. It's nearly there already. Why's it so hard to see
that General David Petraeus cannot possibly succeed at something the
much-decorated General McChyrstal failed? Especially when McChrystal is
preceded by a long line of failed foreign commanders. Not for nothing
Afghanistan is called the Graveyard of Empires.

Obama would do himself and America a great favour by getting the coalition
out of Afghanistan sooner than later. It may be a bitter pill to swallow
but the west has no option but to reach out to Afghans and engage their
real leaders, if it wants to get out without egg on its face. Just a
change of command is not going to end America's woes in Afghanistan. It's
time to cut and run from Vietnamistan, Mr President. Now!

The writer is opinion editor of Khaleej Times.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

18) Back to Top
Army Chief Says He Met Afghan President in Gen McChrystal's Presence
Un-attributed report: "COAS says he met Karzai in McChrystal's presence" -
Th e News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:47:15 GMT
RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
has said that during his last two visits to Kabul, he met President Karzai
to discuss issues of mutual interests. According to a press release of the
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army chief said on both these
occasions, ex-commander International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
General Stanley McChrystal was also present. General Kayani said this
transparent trilateral engagement augured well for the comfort level of
the leadership of all the prime stakeholders and strengthened the existing
relationship.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

19) Back to Top
Thai Editorial Stresses Need To Defeat Taliban Leadership in Afghanistan
Editorial: "Time is short for Kabul" - Bangkok Post Online
Monday July 5, 2010 04:58:14 GMT
The Afghanistan conflict has become the longest in the history of the
United States, which started this war and still leads it. The clear and
legitimate war of November 2001 has become the controversial and
strength-sapping mission of 20 10. The literally deadly serious mission in
Afghanistan became shambolic last month, when it was revealed that the top
US military commander had criticised and even ridiculed President Barack
Obama. In one of his finer moments, Mr Obama summoned, relieved and fired
US Army Gen Stanley McChrystal in short order. But he still faces the
daunting task of achieving success.

"Success" is Mr Obama's word. He has escalated the Afghanistan war, taken
the violence deep inside Pakistan, and assigned the most famous US combat
commander to succeed Gen McChrystal and command the allied effort. But he
has steadfastly refused to use the word "victory" to describe his goal.
That has made it difficult to define that goal. Clearly, the job of Gen
David Petraeus and the allies is to fight the Taliban, halt its advances
and provide security for the government in Kabul.

But that vague mission goal raises more questions. First and foremost, as
the Afghanistan war grows more unpopular, is when it will end. Mr Obama
has set a deadline of one year to begin the withdrawal of the 30,000-troop
US surge he ordered early this year. It is clear that the US President
wishes to remain vague about pulling out troops. Meanwhile, allies Canada,
France, Australia and Britain have all said their commitment to the war is
not open-ended. Like Mr Obama, they have set no deadline for ending
operations.

Meanwhile, there are grave doubts that the elected President Hamid Karzai
will ever be in a position to assume full duties as commander-in-chief and
head of a stable nation. Mr Karzai has showed a political ruthlessness for
staying in power. But this ability to thwart democratic challenges has not
carried over to his attempts to create a true nation. He has waffled over
negotiations with "moderate" Taliban members, but has so far failed
lamentably to stand up to the regional warlords who tear Afghanistan
apart. On his watch -- and that of the foreign troops, to be sure --
Afghanistan has once again sunk so far that opium is its most important
crop, its only measurable export and a corrupting influence so deep that
some call Mr Karzai's regime a narcocracy.

The undoubted failings of Mr Karzai are no stronger argument for
abandoning the Afghan mission than the current upsurge of allied
casualties. In any case, these are remarkably low by the measures of most
wars. But Mr Obama, Mr Karzai and their allies worldwide face rumbles of
discontent which will become louder. The US President has expended much
political capital to keeping the anti-war sentiment quiet in his own
party. Soon, in fact, he may be forced to depend only on the opposition
Republican Party for the votes in the US Congress to continue the Afghan
war. There are many similarities with the political problems of Mr Obama
and those of President Lyndon Johnson, whose political career was ruined
by the opposition to the Vietnam War inside his ow n Democratic Party.

Gen Petraeus must be encouraged to press the war against the Taliban. It
is unacceptable that this band of violent, throwback repressors should
ever again rule Afghanistan. The goal should be to defeat the Taliban
leadership, and convince the rank-and-file to join the decent society of
their country. The time to achieve this is clearly limited.

(Description of Source: Bangkok Bangkok Post Online in English -- Website
of a daily newspaper widely read by the foreign community in Thailand;
provides good coverage on Indochina. Audited hardcopy circulation of
83,000 as of 2009. URL: http://www.bangkokpost.com.)

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20) Back to Top
Russia May Shortly Remove Differences at Talks on WTO - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 08:55:43 GMT
with partners on its WTO bid, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov
told reporters on Monday.

The official reminded reporters about the task set by the president -
arrive at necessary agreements with partners, including with the USA, on
WTO membership. He said the negotiating group of the Customs Union
(Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus), set up last year, holds talks with the
USA and the European Union on forming a common stance."We have all chances
to remove these differences within the next few weeks," he
added.(Description of Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main
government information agency)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

21) Back to Top
US will remain committed to spirit of dialogue with Belarus, -
Belorusskiye Novosti Online
Monday July 5, 2010 08:55:44 GMT
The United States will remain committed to the spirit of dialogue with
Belarus that will lead to cooperation for the benefit of the two
countries, US Charge d-Affaires Michael Scanlan said at an Independence
Day reception near Minsk on July 1, as quoted by BelaPAN

.

Like Thaddeus Kosciusko who was born on the territory of what is now
Belarus devoted his entire life to freedom and democracy, the United
States will remain committed to the spirit of values-based dialogue
leading to cooperation for the benefit of the two countries, the diplomat
said.

Mr. Scanlan said that the reception marked not only the United States`
achievements and its struggle for independence but also the efforts and
devotion of those who dedicated their life to democracy in Belarus.

This is the last time that an Independence Day reception is held at the US
ambassador`s residence in Rawbichy, the diplomat said, adding that the
embassy would lose the residence soon.

He described the last two years as a period of missed opportunities in
relations between the two countries.

(Description of Source: Minsk Belorusskiye Novosti Online in English --
Online newspaper published by Belapan, and independent news agency often
critical of the Belarusian Government)

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22) Back to Top
Yeni Ozgur Politika Headlines 02 July 2010
The following is a list of news headlines from the Yeni Ozgur Politika
website on 2 July; to request additional processing, please contact OSC at
(800) 205-8615, (202) 338-6735, fax (703) 613-5735, or
oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov - Yeni Ozgur Politika Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:33:07 GMT
Bombardment of Lies from Turkish Press! - There has been an increase in
fabricated news in the Turkish press, which is part of a process of
psychological warfare against Kurds. The Turkish press, which on several
different occasions announced the capture of the perpetrator of the
Halkali attack, upset the life of citizen Pelsini Bilir when they
announced she was a "suicide bomber."

Prisons Spotlighted! - The IHD (Human Rights Association) carried out an
action to draw attention to the situatio ns of sick detainees and convicts
being held in prisons.

ESF (European Social Forum) Starts in Istanbul - Thousand of ESF activists
and academicians who set off on a journey under the theme of "Another
Europe is Necessary" gathered together in Istanbul.

Complaint about Adana Governor Sent to the ECHR (European Court for Human
Rights) - Representatives of non-governmental organizations have applied
to the ECHR to register their complaints against the Adana governor's
office, which is giving heavy fines to those who have engaged in marches,
issued press statements or carried out protest actions in areas other than
those so specified. The governor is basing his actions on the Misdemeanors
Law.

International Law Violated - Saying that the arrests of those who came to
Turkey from the Makhmur Camp under UN supervision contravene international
law, BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Sirnak Deputy Hasip Kaplan said:
"With this trial, a total of 12,00 0 refugees have been deemed to be
members of an (illegal) organization. Turkey has gotten itself into
trouble by creating yet another international legal scandal." Taner Kilic,
the chairman of Multeci Der (Association of Refugees) said that
international laws governing refugees had been violated.

BDP Sends Delegation to the South - In the coming days, the BDP is going
to send a delegation to the Federal Kurdistan Region to open a
representative office and to discuss the issue of a national conference.

Democratic Autonomy is Compliant with EU - Academician Mithat Sancar said
that debates about democratic autonomy will "bring Turkey face-to-face
with serious solution possibilities." Cengiz Aktar said that this request
is in compliance with the EU.

Tri-Lateral Insufficient, Septa-Lateral Mechanism - The Turkish
government, which found a tri-lateral situation to be insufficient, is now
asking the US, NATO, EU, Kurdish Administration and Iraq t o also fight
actively against the PKK.

Parliament Requests Probe - The Parliament Human Right Commission is
focusing its attention on the explosion that resulted in the killing of
one child and the injuring of five others in Ozalp, Van.

Another Youth Killed - Iranian troops killed a youth named Sinan Gumus
(19) in Ozalp , which is located on the border.

Eyal Sivan: My Side is Obvious - Refusing to participate in a festival
held in his country on the grounds that "I will not join with a group of
famous actors and film people who choose to remain silent while massacres
are being carried out in Lebanon or in Gaza," Israeli Marxist Director
Eyal Sivan said: "My side is clear. I am on the side of justice, not on
the side of injustice."

The Band That is Following in Kazim's Footsteps - Entu, one of the rare
bands that performs Black Sea melodies with a rock beat, says: "We are
trying to be the voice of the Black Sea and we are trying to carry the cry
of the Black Sea to all other people."

Duet of Jaff and Atli in Land of the Sun - The opening reception of the
Van Lake Culture, Art and Nature Festival, which is being held for the
first time this year with the motto of "Tracing History by Art in the Land
of the Sun," started with performances by Tara Jaff, Mehmet Atli and
Serko.

Prize for Ghobadi - Film Director Bahman Ghobadi's film Kasi Az Gorbehaye
Irani Khabar Nadareh (No One Knows About Persian Cats) was awarded the
grand prize in Rabat.

AKP (Justice and Development Party) Member Bakirci Is Ironic Activist -
Kurdish women are raining anger down on AKP Rize Mayor Halil Bakirci,
whose suggested that Turks take a Kurdish woman as a second wife as a way
to solve the Kurdish issue. Hulya Degirmenci, an employee of DIKASUM
(Research Centre for Women s Affairs in Diyarbakir), said: "Bakirci may
just be an ironic activist of the 'Let's create a free society an d
surpass the culture of rape' movement which is being carried out by
Kurdish women against the 'fornication' and rape that are so much
complained of."

WWM (World Women March) Participants Off to Amed (Diyarbakir) - The WWM
activities held in Istanbul between 29-30 June ended with a march.

Event for Refugees - The Political Integration Section of the Stuttgart
Municipality is holding a conference directed towards refugees from Turkey
sponsored by the Paul Lechner Foundation, the Luis Leitz Foundation, and
the F.U.N.K Association. The conference will be presented by specialists,
among them some specialists from Turkey

Kiechle Introduces PKK Book - A book written by lawyer Brigitte Kiechle
and Nikolaus Brauns called PKK: Kurt Ozgurluk Mucadelesi'nin
Perspektifleri (PKK: Perspectives on the Kurdish Struggle for Freedom) was
introduced in Mainz, Germany. In her presentation of the book, Kiechle
said that their aim was to create a deeper sensitivity wi thin German
society for the Kurdish people.

Medicine-Free Treatment Method from Kurdish Physician - Physician Mehmet
Deniz, who lives in Germany, said diabetes can be treated without
medicine, and that he has achieved 70% success rates with this method.

Fighting up Front, Flirting Behind - For some time now, public opinion
within and without Turkey has been keeping its eye on the "Turkey-Israel
tension." It now turns out that the two countries held a secret meeting,
despite the escalation of the crisis between the two countries that
started off with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan`s "one
minute" reaction in Davos and then rose a notch with the 31 May Israel
attack on the Mavi Marmara ship.

200,000 People Listed in Switzerland! - Twenty years after the last
listing scandal, the secret services have again been charged with not
adhering to the law. According a Parliamentary commission report 200,000
new listings that do not adhere to monitoring and legal norms were carried
out.

Wulff Elected on Third Round - Prime Minster Angela Merkel's candidate,
Christian Wulff, was elected to fill the presidential seat of Horst
Kohler, who resigned in Germany. Kurdish News:

Comment: PKK From Perspective of a Jurist - "There is an Arabic idiom that
says ezheril minel shems (It is clearer than the sun) that demonstrates
just what PKK has given us and all of humanity. That is why knowing the
PKK is to know the truth."

Baydemir Presents Sport Complex Project - Osman Baydemir, the Mayor of the
Greater Municipality of Amed, introduced the sports complex project. The
foundation of the building will be laid on 6 July. In a presentation he
gave to Mehmet Atalay, the General Director of Press and Publicity, he
said that once the building is completed, Amed will become a center of
sports.

Democratic Autonomy is a New Line - Prof. Mithat Sincar said that in spite
of the huge pr ice that has been paid, the Kurdish identity is still
absent from laws and the constitution and that, for that reason,
democratic autonomy is very important as a means of opening new political
arenas and channels.

BDP Sends Delegation to the Kurdistan Region - The BDP will open an office
in the Federal Kurdistan Region in the coming days, and is sending a
delegation to carry out meetings regarding a national conference.

Hard Punishment Requested - A session of the trial in the case launched
against seven Peace and Democratic Solution Group members being heard in
the Fifth Amed High Criminal Court was held. At the session, the
prosecutor requested hard punishment for the members of the Peace Group.
The trial was adjourned to 23 September.

Seven-Sided Mechanism Against PKK - Diplomatic traffic among Hewler
(Arbil), Ankara, Washington, and Brussels is gradually becoming more
intense. Turkey wants to extend its struggle against the PKK in the
international a rena and wants to draw the EU into the tri-lateral
mechanism. It was on this basis that Turkish, Iraqi and US commanders
gathered in Silopi yesterday.

Excitement of Language and Art Certificates - A ceremony was held to
present the 422 students of the Cegerxwin Culture and Art Center with
training certificates for success in language, tenbur (traditional
stringed instrument), guitar, violin, cinema, painting and computers.

Enjoying Kurdish Hip-Hop - The office of DISK/ DEV-SAGLIK-IS
(Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey/ Progressive Health
Unions) at Dicle University organized a performance to mark the opening of
its office.

Disgraceful Market - It has appeared that in many parts of Turkey,
especially in central Anatolia, men are marrying women from the cities of
Kurdistan by paying sums of money.

Kurdish Teacher Detained - An Iranian citizen, English language teacher
Mukhtar Asadi, was taken into custody by forces of the Iranian re gime in
Karaj.

Time for Wan (Van) Lake Festivals - While one side of the lake is
celebrating the First Festival of Culture and Art festival, the other side
of the lake is celebrating the Tetwan (Tatvan) Culture and Tourism
Festival. Various cultural activities are being held at both festivals.

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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23) Back to Top
Foreign Investors Return as Euro-zone Debt Crisis Eases - JoongAng Daily
Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 00:48:15 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - June saw foreign investors return to the local stock
market.

According to the Financial Supervisory Service ye sterday, overseas
investors are out of the red and have become buyers again, posting net
purchases of around 1 trillion won ($817 million) last month. The local
stock market experienced an international exodus in May, with net sales of
6.1 trillion won due to the crises in euro-zone debt and inter-Korean
relations. But with finance conditions recovering, foreign investors have
come back."Market conditions such as the easing of uncertainties in the
euro-zone, growing expectations for improvement in corporate earnings and
the end of a sell arbitrage trading trend have also boosted foreign
buying," said an official at the FSS.Foreigners held 301.9 trillion won
worth of stocks on the local market as of the end of June, accounting for
29.5 percent of the total market capitalization, according to the FSS.
United States-based traders were found to have bought the most stock in
June, followed by Singapore, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Germany.
The non-European countri es in the top five were net buyers for the second
straight month."European funds flowed out of the local stock market due to
the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis in May," said Cho Yong-sik, a
researcher with Shinhan Investment Corp. "U.S. investors have returned to
the local market, judging that the Korean and Taiwanese economies are
better than any other."However, he forecast the size of foreign net
purchases could fall in the near future."Some foreigners injected funds
before the local stock market failed in its bid to win an upgrade to
developed market equity index status (from Morgan Stanley Capital
International)," said Cho, indicating that some overseas investors could
leave because of the unexpected move.Meanwhile, the local bond market
ended in negative territory, posting an outflow of 774.4 billion won last
month. The outflow from the bond market in June came despite net purchases
of local bonds worth 6.1 trillion won and was blamed on 7 .5 trillion won
worth of bonds maturing last month. By country, Thailand dominated the
buying of domestic bonds with net purchases of 2.9 trillion won, followed
by the U.S. with 790 billion won and Germany with 728.8 billion
won.(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English --
Website of English-language daily which provides English-language
summaries and full-texts of items published by the major center-right
daily JoongAng Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert
to the Seoul edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

24) Back to Top
Home Affairs Records 'A Million' Foreign Visitors Entering RSA During
World Cup
Unattributed Report: "A Million Tourists Visit SA During WCup" - SAPA
Monday July 5, 2010 17:53:59 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg SAPA in English -- Cooperative,
nonprofit national news agency, South African Press Association; URL:
http://www.sapa.org.za)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

25) Back to Top
More Iranian Students Studying Abroad in US Than in Any Other Country
List of Countries That Have the Most Iranian University Students / We
Have 10,000 University Students in America  Mehr News Agency report -
Mehr News Agency
Monday July 5, 2010 16:47:06 GMT
(Description of Source: Tehran Mehr News Agency in Persian; conservative
news agency; run by the Islamic Propagation Office, which is affiliated
with the conservative Qom seminary; www.mehrnews.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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26) Back to Top
FYI -- Agency: Number of EU, Arab States Refuse To Supply Fuel for Iran
Aircraft - Iranian Students News Agency
Monday July 5, 2010 16:42:35 GMT
Alyari, the secretary of the (Iranian) Aviation Companies' Union,
announcing that s ince Thursday, 1 July, airports in countries such as
Britain, Germany, and the UAE have refused to supply fuel for Iranian
aircraft.

In June 2010, the US Congress approved a bill which imposed sanctions on
fuel suppies to Iran.Speaking to ISNA, Alyari added: As a result, the
Iranian aircraft have to either secure its fuel from inside the country as
much as possible, or refuel in countries along their flight routes. But
this doubles the flight costs.Meanwhile, Kazem Jalali, the rapparteur of
the Majles National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, has said that
based on international conventions, Iran can complain to the UN and the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).Speaking to IRNA on 4
July, the MP added that Iran's minister of transportation will hold a
meeting with representatives of the Majles National Security and Foreign
Policy Committee to study the issue. He also stressed that the committee
has set up a special committee, which began its work o n Sunday 4 July, to
study the fuel sanctions.IRNA also noted that Kuwait has also not supplied
fuel for Iranian aircraft.(Description of Source: Tehran Iranian Students
News Agency in Persian -- conservative news agency that now generally
supports government policy; it had previously provided politically
moderate reporting; linked to University Jihad, a state-backed student
organization; www.isna.ir)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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27) Back to Top
Clinton Poland, Ukraine Visit Eyed
Article by Vasiliy Voropayev: "Hillary is Inviting Ukraine To Join NATO"
(Izvestiya Online) - Izvestiya Online (Moscow Edition)
Monday July 5, 2010 19:29:53 GMT
"The doors of NATO remain open for Ukraine," Mrs. Clinton announced in
Kiev. However, while for the previous Ukrainian President, Viktor
Yushchenko, the country's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance was
the ultimate dream, today Kiev has entirely different priorities. On the
eve of Clinton's arrival, the Supreme Rada adopted a symbolic decision: It
ratified the new edition of the law on principles of state foreign and
domestic policy, from which any mention of a desire to join NATO has
disappeared.

Times change, and, judging by all, in the course of her visit the head of
American diplomacy is striving to understand how Eastern Europe and the
post-Soviet states perceive the "reset" between Washington and Moscow.
"Soon after the 'spy case,' Clinton set off for Russia's backyard," writes
an observer for the Associated Press agency, speaking of the Secretary of
State's tri p to Kiev, Baku, Yerevan and Tbilisi.

The word, "reset," which became popular at the behest of President Barack
Obama, describes the situation in Kiev and Warsaw fairly well. In Ukraine,
there was not simply a change in the head of state - there was practically
a full "reset" of the foreign policy vector. And the deep sympathy, with
which Moscow reacted to the tragic death of Polish President Lech
Kaczynski in the air crash near Smolensk, was able to "reset" the attitude
of many Polish politicians toward Russia. "The US is convinced that
Ukraine has a good future, that there will be a strong and powerful
democracy in that country," Clinton said in Kiev, adding that this
democracy was already demonstrated during the presidential elections.

Hillary arrived in Poland on the eve of the second round of the
presidential elections - on the so-called day of quiet. She did not meet
with either of the two aspirants to the post of head of state - neither
with Speaker of the Seim Bronislaw Komorowski, nor with the leader of the
Law and Justice Party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski - the brother of the late
president. And she began her visit by honoring the memory of the victims
of the air crash near Smolensk.

As for Poland, Russia cannot help but be worried about the question of
deployment of elements of the American missile defense system in that
country. It was a pet project of the George Bush administration. Moscow
repeatedly expressed concern about the plans to deploy elements of the
missile defense shield in Eastern Europe. Washington insists that the
system is being created to repel possible threat on the part of Iran, and
is not directed against Russia. President Obama reviewed the expensive and
cumbersome plans of the previous administration, but did not reject the
creation of a missile defense shield.

In Krakow, an amendment to the treaty between the US and Poland on missile
defense was signed with the participation of Clinton and her Polish
counterpart, Radoslaw Sikorski. This treaty took into consideration the
"new architecture," announced by Obama in September of last year. After
the signing ceremony, Sikorski announced that Poland is giving Russia the
opportunity to inspect missile defense facilities. And Clinton added: This
system is defensive in nature. "We want to cooperate with our Russian
partners on missile defense, because this is in our interests," she said.

(Description of Source: Moscow Izvestiya Online (Moscow Edition) in
Russian -- Website of Moscow Edition of large-circulation daily that is
majority-owned by Yuriy Kovalchuk's National Media Group and usually
supports the Kremlin; URL: http://izvestia.ru/)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, U S Dept. of
Commerce.

28) Back to Top
Russia's Faltering Space Industry Contrasted With US Space Program
Article by Dmitriy Ponomarev, editor in chief of the Interright
Information Agency, under the rubric "Society": "The United States Is
Moving Into a Hiatus From Space" - Svobodnaya Pressa
Tuesday July 6, 2010 00:19:55 GMT
In reality the United States wants to have time in the next few years to
develop new booster rockets, a new reusable spaceship, and a private space
station as well as new types of rocket engines at the expense of private
firms. The state will keep scientific research for itself, as well as
expeditions to Mars and perhaps to the Moon (although it appears that the
Americans have definitely rejected a flight there).

A circumstance in f avor of Barack Obama's decision is that development of
space vehicles by private firms has been underway for several years now
and is beginning to provide tangible results. From the "pleasure boat"
Space Ship One, the private sector advanced to real booster rockets by the
end of the current decade. One of them -- Falcon 9, produced by the Space
X Company, on 4 June successfully launched a transport module into orbit.
A Falcon 9 flight to the International Space Station may take place even
in 2010 -- three years earlier than the planned time. Testing of one more
rocket, the Taurus 2, is also entering the final stage. The Ad Astra
Company, under the leadership of former NASA astronaut Franklin
Chang-Diaz, is completing work on a rocket with a plasma engine.

The work is not limited to booster rockets, however. The Bigelow Airspace
Company, the developer of the inflatable space modules Genesis I and II,
is developing the design for the first private space station. Vigorous
work is also underway in the military sphere. Recently the Americans
successfully launched the X-37B orbital unmanned spacecraft. The details
of the flight and the mission of the spacecraft are classified, but few
people doubt that it can carry weapons on board. In 2010 testing of the
X-51A and Falcon hypersonic spacecraft took place.

We will see the fruits of all this in just a few years. As for Russia, it
can only envy the Americans' plans. And indeed, such an intellectual and
science-intensive sector as astronautics may kick the bucket for good in
our country right in the next five to 10 years.

Science. There is practically none of it. The last major science project
in space that can be considered successful in any way at all dates back
right to the end of the Soviet era -- the Fobos-1 and Fobos-2 spacecraft.
In 1988 both probes were launched to Mars and both went off-line ahead of
time. One did not make it to the Red Planet at al l, while the second got
to Phobos, but two months later -- right before launching two modules to
the Mars moon, it stopped working. Later Russia already had an
interplanetary research station, Mars-96. The launch vehicle was unable to
put the spacecraft, which was filled with expensive imported equipment,
into orbit because of an explosion in one stage. The probe burned up in
the atmosphere.

The next Russian science spacecraft, the Fobos-Grunt, was supposed to take
off for Mars in 2009. But later the launch was postponed until 2011.
According to rumors, the station is still not ready for the flight.

Russia has been trying to put the Spektr-R astrophysics observatory into
orbit since 2007. The latest attempt is scheduled for 2012. The launching
of the Elektro-L weather satellite has been unsuccessful since 2006. The
Koronas-Foton science satellite designed to operate for three years went
off-line in September 2009 after nine months in orbit. Roskosmos ( Russian
Federal Space Agency) officially admitted that only in April 2010. Russia
no longer has any other similar science satellites in orbit (the MGU
(Moscow State Un iversity) science satellite Tatyana-2 also broke down).

The reason is simple: the whole problem is that same mounting
technological and scientific degeneration of Russia. Soviet satellites and
science stations were also distinguished from American ones by their
"short life span," but at that time this difference was not of fatal
importance.

But now Russia's entire satellite group of roughly 100 craft in space
consists of obsolete and unreliable spacecraft. Some of them that are
performing spy functions take photographs on film which is then delivered
to the Earth in a capsule that is sent down; this corresponds to the
technological level of the 1960s. One of them was the Don satellite
(Kosmos-2399), which stopped working in 2003. An amusing extraordinary
incident happened to it -- because of the unplanned separation from it of
the capsule with the latest exposed photographic film, it was not shot but
simply fell out of the spacecraft. In the process it came unwound around
the satellite. The Americans who were observing the spacecraft at that
time speculated that the Russian spy satellite had broken up into several
parts.

Another similar spacecraft was the Kobalt-M, which operated in orbit for
less than four months and in January 2005 was forced to land. In the
process its capsule that was being released with the photographs was lost.

Satellites have been designed in Russia for a long time and using outdated
technologies, so Roskosmos or the Ministry of Defense sometimes has to use
stored reserves inherited from the USSR. That was the case with the
Legenda (Kosmos-2421) satellite of the marine radio-technical
reconnaissance system that was launched in 2006 and officially stopped
working in 2008 (according to US information, it stopped working right
after launching because of the breakdown of a solar battery), and before
that had lain in the arsenal for 15 years. This spacecraft, by the way,
fell on Mexico's territory in February 2010. Russia's Ministry of Defense
received the Globus-1 telecommunications spacecraft with a delay of two
years.

The average service life of a Russian satellite ranges from a few months
to at most two or three years (to be fair I must say that there are,
admittedly, very rare exceptions when they operate for six or seven
years). At the same time, the average American or European satellite
operates in orbit from five to eight years. There are also cases where
they operate for 12 to 15 years. Russia's losses of military satellites
because of the breakdown of the steel is an ordinary occurrence. Instead
of the standard five years, the Sterkh light satellites, which are part of
the KOSPAS-SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided System) international
space system (and are produced by the Polyet PO (production association)),
worked for six to nine months in orbit. Both of these spacecraft had gone
off-line by the spring of 2010. In 2009 alone, the expensive, by Russian
standards, Monitor, KazSat, and Persona spacecraft (the latter cost about
5 billion rubles) broke down. Their American counterparts survive an
average of 10 or 11 years in orbit. Admittedly, they are more expensive
(around $1 billion to $1.5 billion); after all, the electronic component
in them is a magnitude more complicated and reliable than in Russian
spacecraft.

So in space there is nothing for Russian spacecraft with such a level of
reliability to do. Moreover, Russian astronautics is already very unlikely
to achieve those results that the European Space Agency (ESA), NASA, and
even India are now achieving. After all, in addition to the Voyager-I and
Voyager-2 spacecraft familiar to everyone, which have been operating in
space for more than 30 years now, th ey have a multitude of examples of
the operation of satellites that substantially exceed the normative life.
Suffice it to recall the Ulysses solar station that operated for about 18
years, the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, which are still operating
(Spirit has shut down temporarily because it is stuck in the sand) on Mars
for almost six years now, and the Mars Express Martian probe -- seven
years.

In any case, NASA analyzed the causes of the failures of some of its
satellites in the 1990s (the Mars Polar Lander) and took them into
account.

But in Russia if launching reliable spacecraft into space does not work
out, it can try to take revenge on Earth. Roskosmos together with the
European Space Agency is now conducting the Mars 500 project where the
flight and life of a group of astronauts on Mars is being modeled. No one
can predict what the results of this "earth-based" astronautics will be.
The main thing is that it is not quite clear why this project is needed if
neither Russia nor the European Union is even discussing a flight to Mars
in earnest.

The only sector where Russia is offering something else on the space
services market is booster rockets. At the present time, the main projects
of Roskosmos are delivering cargo and astronauts to the International
Space Station, as well as launching foreign and Russian satellites into
orbit. The Soyuz and Proton series booster rockets are used for that.
Russian rockets are also being launched by foreign states. To illustrate,
in 2009 France acquired two Soyuz-ST booster rockets for the space port in
Guyane (French Guiana) (a launch platform is being built there for them).
In 2010 a contract was signed between the two countries to deliver another
10 Soyuzes. However, as new booster rockets are developed in the United
States, Roskosmos may lose this sector too. The deadline for starting
series production of promising rockets of the new Angara family is
constantly being postponed, as are their first launches. Let me remind you
that these rockets have been under development at the GKNPTs (State Space
Scientific and Production Center) imeni V. V. Khrunichev for more than 14
years now. The first launch of such a rocket is planned for 2012, and
series production -- for 2015.

In the meantime, the potential clients have begun to become disillusioned
with them too. At any rate, South Korea, where developments based on the
Russian Angara were used in creating the failed KSLV-1 rocket, has already
turned to India for help.

There is one more quite narrow market segment where Russia may stay afloat
for a while -- sales of rocket engines created in Soviet times. To
illustrate, the Energomash enterprise is selling RD-180 engines in the
United States. And the American company Aerojet intends to buy NK-33
rocket engines for the first stage of the Taurus II rocket (this company
acquired 40 such engines in the 1990s). I n 2016-2020 the American company
wants to acquire around 70 of these engines, although the Russian
manufacturer SNTK (Samara Scientific-Technical Complex imeni N. D.
Kuznetsov) has no more than half a hundred of them in its storage
facilities. In order to launch series production, around $130 million has
to be invested in it.

The degeneration of the Russian space industry is difficult to explain by
the chronic absence of financing, as was the case in the 1990s. The budget
of the domestic Roskosmos in 2005-2008 rose by a factor of 1.5 -- from 25
billion to 37 billion rubles (from $900 million to $1.43 billion). In 2009
and 2010, it was at the level of 37 billion and 35 billion rubles ($1.23
billion and $1.18 billion), respectively. Russia is in fourth place in the
world in terms of total expenditures for space ($2.7 billion), after the
United States ($19 billion), the European Union ($5.3 billion), and China
($3.1 billion). At the same time, Moscow at this point is ahead of Japan
($2.2 billion) and India ($1.2 billion).

All the same, Roskosmos made a mess of the federal space program for
2005-2010. In 2005-2008, 19 communications satellites were supposed to be
launched into orbit, but in reality only one was. Of nine weather
satellites, also just one was launched. Neither one of the two space
astrophysics laboratories went into orbit. The Koronas-Foton s pacecraft,
which was designed to study the Sun, operated for one-third the normative
period.

Of the five modules for the International Space Station, only two were
manufactured (the third using American money), and the new space station
whose development is supposed to be completed by 2010 simply remains on
paper. Instead of it, Roskosmos head Anatoliy Perminov proposed to operate
the International Space Station until 2020. Nor is there any progress in
the area of construction of the new Vostochnyy Space Port in Amur Oblast,
from which Russian reusable manned shi ps are supposed to be launched
starting in 2018. The start of the construction of the new space port has
been postponed numerous times. In the process the construction itself will
cost Russia 400 billion rubles. Baykonur could be leased for 130 years for
that money.

So far the matter of new manned ships has not gone further than talks yet
either. The preliminary design of the new space plane with the
fine-sounding name Rus, which the Energiya Corporation completed in June
2010, will begin to be examined in Roskosmos only in July 2010. At the
same time, Russia wants to have four such ships already by 2015.

Generally speaking, given the absence of real results, Russian space
officials are generous in issuing advance news. To illustrate, Energiya
director Vitaliy Lopota promised by 2015-2018 to create a nuclear engine
for ships that will fly to Mars. And by 2029 scientists from the
Scientific Production Association (NPO) imeni S. A. Lavochkin will build a
s pacecraft that will study the asteroid Apophis. At the same time,
Roskosmos head Anatoliy Perminov intends to prevent the possible collision
of this asteroid with Earth. And now Russian specialists are arguing about
how they are going to combat the dangerous celestial body. Perhaps it is
the only thing that they can offer to world astronautics (in the meantime
Germany has already launched into orbit a satellite that will track such
celestial bodies, while the United States intends to do that next year).

(Description of Source: Moscow Svobodnaya Pressa in Russian -- Website
carrying political, economic, and sociocultural news; URL:
http://www.svpressa.ru/)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

29) Back to Top
President Sargsyan congratulates Obama on Constitution Day .::. The
Armenian News by A1 - A1+ Online
Monday July 5, 2010 08:49:38 GMT
The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, sent a congratulatory message to
the President of the USA on the occasion of the 234th Independence Day of
the United States. The message reads:

"Dear Mr. President,

I would like to extend my warm congratulations to you and the friendly
people of the United States of America on the occasion of the 234th
Anniversary of the Independence.

We are grateful to the United States for its comprehensive and continuous
support to Armenia since the first years of the independence of our
country.

Armenia attaches special importance to its bilateral relations with the
United States, as well as to the cooperation between our countries in
seeking solutions to vario us regional and international issues. We are
greatly interested in further development of our multi-dimensional
relationship with the United States.

The United States Independence Day is undoubtedly connected with the
fundamental right of the people to self-determination. The United States
as a Co-Chair state of the OSCE Minsk Group plays an important role in the
process of the peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We
highly appreciate the consistent and constructive efforts of the United
States towards the just resolution of the conflict".

(Description of Source: Yerevan A1+ in English -- website of opposition
A1+ Television taken off the air by the Armenian authorities in April
2002; publishes news in brief, comments and interviews; URL: http://www.a1
plus.am/en )

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use m ay be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

30) Back to Top
Clinton calls for Karabakh peace, Turkish-Armenian reconciliation -
Arminfo
Monday July 5, 2010 08:55:43 GMT
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that her country supports
the peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict."We are ready to
render assistance both to Armenia and Azerbaijan in reaching and
implementing a peaceful solution. We know that it will not be easy, but we
believe that is necessary for a safe and flourishing future," Arminfo news
agency quoted Hillary Clinton as saying at a joint news conference with
Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan in Yerevan on 4 July.She added
that the conflicting parties have to agree on the basic principles of the
settlement. "Everyone understands that it is not easy, but we believe that
it is the basis for a peaceful and safe future," Clinton said.Speaking
about the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement, she said that reconciliation
would benefit the whole region. "The USA believed and still believes that
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey will strengthen stability and
prosperity in the South Caucasus region and the opening of the border
would positively affect trade and attraction of investments," she told the
news conference. "We urge Turkey to implement the obligations it has
undertaken. Both sides should continue seeking ways for reconciliation and
normalization. Armenia's decision last April (to suspend, but not to
discard, the ratification of accords for normalizing ties with Turkey) was
very wise and appropriate. The ball now is in Turkey's court," she
said.She also met with the Armenian president who said the resolution of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is the most importa nt issue for Armenia.
President Serzh Sargsyan said that the people of Nagornyy Karabakh had the
right to decide its own fate and develop on its historical territory.
"This right is inviolable and thanks to the implementation of this right,
many nations of the world are happy," Arminfo quoted Sargsyan as saying.He
said that Armenia wants to develop relations with the USA. "We regard
these relations as one of the most important factors for economic and
political development and for reaching regional stability and peace," he
said.(Description of Source: Yerevan Arminfo in Russian -- Independent
news agency)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

31) Back to Top
Russia T o Open Dozens Of Helicopter Service Centers Within Next Decade -
Interfax-AVN Online
Monday July 5, 2010 11:24:12 GMT
intervention)

ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow region. July 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Helicopters
Holding will open about 30 service centers abroad in the next decade, its
First Deputy General Director Igor Pshenichny said at the Machine Building
Technologies 2010 forum in Zhukovsky on Friday."The Helicopter Service
Company formed by the holding is building a multi-level service network
for Russian-made helicopters," he said.Service is an important element of
the holding development strategy, Pshenichny said. He noted that the
holding aspired for controlling 15% of the world helicopter market by
2020. Today the holding produces 7-8% of all helicopters in the world."The
world is using about 7,000 helicopters. We must not forget about that," he
said.There are four Russian helicopter service centers based in India,
China, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates and one helicopter repair
plant in Latin America. The holding will open five service centers and a
regional logistic center in Latin America, seven service centers and one
regional center in Asia, three centers in Africa and two in Europe by
2015, he said.(Description of Source: Moscow Interfax-AVN Online in
English -- Website of news service devoted to military news and owned by
the independent Interfax news agency; URL: http://www.militarynews.ru)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
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32) Back to Top
Consumption Pattern of Imported Beef Changes
Report by Kang Hyun-kyung, staff report er - The Korea Times Online
Monday July 5, 2010 10:52:39 GMT
(KOREA TIMES) - In the forthcoming FTA negotiations, U.S. negotiators may
be able to persuade their South Korean counterparts to believe that the
two sides will benefit more if Korea opens up the local market further for
American beef.

The possible removal of restrictions, however, appears not to be a panacea
for the market share of American beef here, given that many consumers are
still suspicious of the safety of American beef.A World Research poll of
511 housewives, which was conducted in July, 2008, found that about half
of them would never considerpurchasing American beef, while 34 percent
said they would wait to see if the beef is registered safe, while not
buying it in the meantime.These consumers displayed little confidence in
the safety of American beef, partly explaining its low current market
share of 28.1 pe rcent in May 2010, compared with 70 percent in 2003.A
shift in consumers purchasing Australian beef instead is behind the
relatively poor sales of American beef in Korea.Given the market share of
Australian beef among imported beef was only 15 percent in 2003 and it has
soared to about 60 percent in 2010. The beef consumption pattern here
shows a distinct change over the past seven years.In an effort to regain
confidence in the safety of American beef, ranchers and trade associations
in the United States launched a consumer awareness campaign, dubbed the
"Trust Campaign," last December to convince Korean consumers to believe
U.S. beef is safe."After the candlelight vigil in the summer of 2008, the
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) did see a need to reach out directly
to consumers and communicate to them regarding the safety and quality of
U.S. beef," said Jim Herlihy, vice president of communications at USMEF
headquarters based in Denver, Colorado.Cable channels aired commercials
featuring three American mothers who have a role in the industry - a
rancher, scientist and inspector who all feed their families the same beef
that they help produce for export."From our measurements, the campaign has
been very positively received," Herlihy told The Korea Times, while
declining to give details of their measurements.Local trade experts,
however, observed consumer confidence in the safety of American beef has
not been fully regained."The overall atmosphere is that Korean consumers
don't want to eat American beef, and I guess major consumers of American
beef are lower income families because it is cheaper," Kim Hyung-joo,
research fellow at LG Economic Research Institute, told The Korea Times
over the phone last week.During a press conference in Seoul last week,
Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon made a similar remark, saying he thinks
"there was no evidence to support that Korean consumers have rebuilt their
trus t in the safety of American beef." Falling market share The declining
share of American beef in the market indicates low consumer confidence in
American beef.Korea was the second largest market for U.S. beef in 2003,
following Japan. But Korea dropped to the fourth largest importer in
2009.Korea imposed an import ban on American beef in December 2003 after a
cow in the state of Washington was tested positive for bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.The import ban was lifted in
October 2006 and boneless beef cuts from cows 30 months or younger were
allowed to be imported.But Korea soon suspended imports of U.S. beef after
banned backbone were found in a shipment shortly after the
decision.Negotiators representing Korea and the United States agreed in
April, 2008 to open up the local market further for American beef,
expanding imports of beef cuts both boneless and bone-in cuts from cows 30
months or younger.According to the Ministry for Food, Agric ulture,
Forestry and Fisheries, the market share of American beef stood at 28.1
percent in May.Considering that the shar e was at 70 percent of imported
beef back in 2003, the current figure hints that many Korean consumers are
still anxious about the safety.As to the market share, Herlihy from the
USMEF, however, presented a different interpretation of the
data."Regarding why Korean consumers have been eating less U.S. beef than
in 2003, we have to realize that there was a virtual five-year absence
from the market for U.S. beef," he said."While Korean consumers have
recently been purchasing and enjoying U.S. beef in increasing quantities,
consumer buying habits don't change overnight."In an e-mail interview with
The Korea Times, Jeffrey Schott, senior fellow of the Peterson Institute
for International Economics, also presented an optimistic view of the
market share of American beef."U.S. beef exports to Korea already have
grown markedly since the Ko rean market was substantially reopened to U.S.
shipments of most beef products," Schott observed. 'Misinformed' mobs
Consumers' suspicion of the safety of American beef was influenced partly
by the collective action of vocal activists who were largely misled by
inaccurate information of mad cow disease on the Internet.Hundreds of
thousands citizens took to the streets in downtown Seoul in the spring of
2008 shortly after the government agreed with the U.S. government to fully
open up the local market for American beef.In the initial deal, both
bone-in and boneless beef cuts from cows of 30 months or older were
allowed for import.The anti-U.S. beef rallies saw a new generation of
activists, middle and high school students who described themselves as
citizens concerned about the safety of American beef.These young activists
made up approximately 60 percent of the protestors.The spread of
exaggerated, inaccurate, unverified information about mad cow disease had
made the yo ung generation feel extremely uneasy.They were concerned about
their school lunches as they thought they could be served beef infected
with mad cow disease, prompting them to join the collective action. Breach
of agreement American exporters' breach of the agreement also played a
role in shaping the negative public perception of the safety of American
beef.Since Korea resumed the imports of American beef in 2006, U.S.
shipments to Korea of beef contained bones or bone fragments.As
negotiators from Korea and the United States agreed that only boneless
cuts from cows of 30 months or younger were allowed to import at the time,
the shipment of boned fragments was considered a violation of the
agreement.Korea suspended imports of American beef temporarily after the
incident until July 2008. Linking beef and automobiles The United States
link the beef deal to the free trade agreement signed with Korea (KORUS
FTA) in April, 2007. The legislatures of the two countries have not ratif
ied the trade deal yet.Political analysts speculated that the politics of
the mid-term elections has had an effect on the U.S. government's linking
the beef deal to the trade agreement.Ahead of the crucial elections,
lawmakers from auto-manufacturing states such as Michigan, Ohio and
Indiana, in collaboration with politicians representing the interest of
ranchers, wanted to fix the two deals, which according to them hurt U.S.
manufacturers and cattle growers, in an attempt to curry favor with their
constituents."President Obama faces a difficult domestic political
challenge because of the economic depression in the auto-producing areas
of Michigan and Ohio and is trying to find ways to bring new employment
opportunities to that region," Schott of Peterson Institute for
International Economics said.He made the remark after U.S. President
Barack Obama informed President Lee Myung-bak last week of his plans to
ask U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to initiate new dis cussions with
Korean Trade Minister Kim to resolve the "outstanding issues" before
Obama's visit to Seoul in November for the G-20 Summit.Michael Froman,
deputy assistant to President Obama at the White House, clarified shortly
after the meeting that "the outstanding issues include non-tariff measures
related to autos and beef."Schott at the Peterson institute said various
groups worry that protectionist measures could undercut the expected gains
of the free trade deal."The new initiatives should provide an insurance
policy against such problems and thus ensure that firms and workers and
ranchers will be able to compete freely," he said.Schott added, "Resolving
differences over the small share of additional US beef exports still
covered by import restrictions is the remaining, albeit sensitive, task
facing the trade negotiations."(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea
Times Online in English -- Website of The Korea Times, an independe nt and
moderate English-language daily published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo
from which it often draws articles and translates into English for
publication; URL: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

33) Back to Top
Fidel Castro Discusses US-Iran Tension, World Cup
The 217th installment in Fidel Castro's "Reflections by Comrade Fidel"
commentary series: "An Impossible Happiness;" published originally on the
site Cubadebate. - Cuba.cu
Monday July 5, 2010 10:41:34 GMT
unfortunately, my happiness didn't last.

The Football World Cup is stil l being contested and there are still six
more days to go before the final match.

What a great opportunity will the Yankee imperialism and the fascist State
of Israel possibly miss to keep the minds of the overwhelming majority of
the people on Earth off their fundamental problems!

Who knows about the imperialists' sinister plans towards Iran and their
gross pretexts to attack it?

At the same time, I wonder, what are the Israeli warships doing, for the
first time, in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's maritime
areas?

Is it possible to think that the Yankee nuclear aircraft-carriers and the
Israeli's warships will leave the area, with the tail between the legs,
when the demands contained in Resolution 1929 of June 9, 2010, approved by
the UN Security Council are met, that is, the one authorizing the
inspection of Iranian ships and aircraft in the territory of any State
that, this time, allows the inspection of ships in the open sea?< br>
The Resolution also establishes that the Iranian ships will not be
inspected if Iran does not consent. In this case, the refusal would be
analyzed.

An additional element is the possibility of confiscating what has been
inspected; if confirmation is obtained that it infringes the provisions of
the Resolution.

A disarmed Iran was the victim of that cruel war with Iraq where large
groups of Guardians of the Revolution cleaned up the mine fields walking
on them.

That is not the case today. As I said in previous Reflections, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad was chief of the Revolutionary Guardians in the west of Iran
that shouldered the main weight of that war.

Several years later, an emboldened Iraqi government sent most of the
Republican Guard to the Arab Emirate of Kuwait and annexed that oil-rich
territory, which became an easy prey.

The Iraqi government had sustained a good friendship with Cuba, which from
the days when it was not at war with any one had rendered it important
health services. Our country tried to persuade it to leave Kuwait and put
an end to the war it had provoked based on misperceptions.

Today, it is known that a mediocre Yankee ambassador, who had excellent
relations with the Iraqi government, induced it to make that mistake.

Bush senior attacked his old friend leading a powerful coalition with a
strong composition of Arab-Moslem-Sunni countries which supply oil to most
of the rich industrial nations. That coalition advanced from the south of
Iraq to prevent the withdrawal of the Republican Guard, which escaped to
the Iraqi capital thanks to the restraint of the US Marine Corps and Armed
Forces -commanded by Colin Powell, a prestigious general and later
Secretary of State under George W. Bush.

Purely out of revenge, the retiring force became the target of rockets
contaminated with downgraded uranium tested for the first time to
determine the damage they could cause in the oppo sing troops.

The Moslem Shiite Iran that they are threatening now with their ground,
sea and air forces is nothing like the Republican Guard they attacked with
impunity in Iraq.

The empire is about to make an irreparable mistake and nothing can stop
it. It walks inexorably towards a sinister fate.

The only thing sure now is that the Football World Cup had its
quarterfinals. Thus, the fans of that sport could enjoy the exciting
matches where we saw incredible things happen. It is said that the
Netherlands team had not lost a World Cup match on a Friday, in 36 years.
Only computers could make it possible to register such an event.

The fact is that Brazil did not make it to the semifinals of this Cup.

An arbiter left Brazil out of the competition. At least, that was the
impression of an excellent commentator of the Cuban television who
repeated it tirelessly. Later, the FIFA would say that the arbiter's
decision was correct.

Afterwards, at a decisive moment, with more than half the second time
still to play, the same arbiter left Brazil with only 10 players in the
field.

Yesterday, Argentina was eliminated. In the first minutes of the match,
the German team, through its midfield player Muller, took by surprise the
unsuspecting Argentinean defenders and the goalkeeper, and scored one
goal.

After a while, the Argentinean forward players tried to score and failed
no less than ten shots --compared to one from the German team.

The German team, on the other hand, scored three more goals, that even
German Chancellor Angela Merkel applauded passionately.

Again, one of the favorite teams lost, leaving over 90% of football fans
in Cuba perplexed.

The overwhelming majority of fans of that sport do not even know in what
continent Uruguay is located. Final matches between European countries
will the most colorless and anti historic since that sport was born.

On the other hand, the international developments that have taken place
had nothing to do with a game of chance but rather with the basic logic
guiding the destiny of the empire.

A number of news came to light on July 1, 2 and 3. They are all connected
to one event: on July 2, the big powers with a right of veto in the UN
Security Council, plus Germany, urged the Iranian government to "promptly
respond" the invitation to return to the negotiations on its nuclear
program.

The previous day, President Barack Obama had signed a law expanding the
current measures against Iran's energy and banking sectors and penalizing
the companies that do business with government of Teheran. The result: a
rigorous blockade and the suffocation of Iran.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that his country will resume the
talks by the end of August and emphasized that countries like Brazil and
Turkey should be involved. These are the only Security Council members
that opposed the s anctions of June 9.

A senior European Union official disdainfully remarked that neither Brazil
nor Turkey would be invited to take part in the talks.

Nothing else is needed to draw the relevant conclusions.

None of the two sides will yield; one, prevented by the pride of the
powerful, and the other because it has the capacity and the will to fight
oppression, as we have seen so many times before in the history of
mankind.

The people of Iran, a nation with ancient cultural traditions, will
undoubtedly defend itself from the aggressors. It's had to understand that
Obama may seriously believe that it would yield to his demands.

The president of Iran and its religious leaders will resist, drawing
inspiration from the Islamic Revolution headed by Ruhollah Khomeini, the
creator of the Guardians of Revolution, the modern Armed Forces and the
new State of Iran.

The poor peoples of the world, which cannot be blamed for the terrible
mess creat ed by imperialism, located as they are in this hemisphere south
of the United States, and others in the west, center and south of Africa,
as well as others on the planet who might be left untouched by the nuclear
war, are left with the only option of coping with the consequences of the
catastrophic nuclear war that will break out very soon.

Unfortunately, there is nothing for me to rectify. I take full
responsibility with what I wrote in my latest Reflections.

Fidel Castro Ruz

July 4, 2010

5:36 PM

(Description of Source: Havana Cuba.cu in English -- English-language
government portal maintained by Center for Automated Exchange of
Information, Cenai; daily updates; URL: http://www.cuba.cu)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

34) Back to Top
Israel Still Rejects Int'l Probe on Aid Ship Raid
"Israel Still Rejects Int"l Probe on Aid Ship Raid" -- KUNA Headline -
KUNA Online
Sunday June 6, 2010 18:23:27 GMT
GAZA, June 6 (KUNA) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
rejectedon Sunday a proposal by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for an
internationalinvestigation into a recent Israeli lethal raid on Gaza-bound
aid shipsattempting to break the three-year Israeli blockade on the Gaza
Strip.But, he called for a responsible and objective investigation into
the attackon the Freedom Flotilla aid ships, which sparked large-scale
internationalbroadside against the Jewish state."I told him (Ban) that the
investigation of the facts must be carried outresponsibly and objectively.
We need to consider the issue carefully andlevel-headedly, while
maintaining Israel's national interests as well as thoseof the Israel
Defense Forces," Israel Radio said.He added that he had briefed the UN
chief on how Turkish activists allegedlyattacked Israeli forces aboard the
Turkish ship.The UN chief had suggested an international probe panel to be
headed by formerNew Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer and includes
representatives fromTurkey, Israel and the United States, an Israeli
official said earlier inJerusalem.Last week, Israeli troops stormed the
Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid ships,leaving nine people dead and several
others wounded.The Israeli raid on the aid ships sparked vehement
condemnation of Israel,especially from Turkey where most of the victims
were from.Turkey's relations with Israel, once a close ally, have soured
badly since thedeadly raid.The international outcry over Israel's actions
when it intercepted the lastflotilla has still not abated.Israel's navy
boarded another ship ca rrying aid and pro-Palestinian activiststo Gaza on
Saturday. Its interception of the Irish-owned MV Rachel Corrie
endedwithout violence following diplomatic efforts to avoid
bloodshed.Israel has been imposing a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip
since the radicalIslamist movement Hamas took de facto control of the
enclave in 2007.(Description of Source: Kuwait KUNA Online in English --
Official news agency of the Kuwaiti Government; URL:
http://www.kuna.net.kw)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

35) Back to Top
ROK's IT Exports Set New Record in H1
Updated version: rewording headline, adding source graphic, and adjusting
tags; Report by Lee Eun-joo: "IT Exports Set New Record& quot;; For
assistance with multimedia elements, contact the OSC Customer Center at
(800) 205-8615 or oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. - JoongAng Daily Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:00:49 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Website
of English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

36) Back to Top
FYI -- Iranian TV Broadcasts Ahmadinezhad Interview With Chinese Phoenix
TV - Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1
Monday July 5, 2010 16:52:20 GMT
1537 GMT on 5 July started to broadcast an interview with Iranian
President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad by a reporter from the Chinese Phoenix TV
channel on 28 June.

The interview was already in progress when the broadcast began, and did
not mention the date or the venue of the interview (presumably held during
Ahmadinezhad's recent visit to China in June). Ahmadinezhad's comments
were translated into English by an interpreter and the questions by the
Chinese reporter were also translated into Farsi consecutively.The topics
of the discussion were Iran's nuclear issue, the US and EU sanctions and
the recent resolution passed against Iran.Playing down the recent UNSC
resolution against Iran, Ahmadinezhad said: "I think that the UNSC has
reached its end. It is the end for America too. You know that Mr Obama
personally wrote to the Brazilian president and the Turkish premier. He
urged them to mediate over (Iran's) fuel swap. They talked to us. We told
them that the Americans were not sincere. They (Turkey and Brazil) are our
friends. They asked us to accept (the deal). To show our respect for
Brazil and Turkey, we accepted it. And you saw that the Americans did not
stand by their own promise. The condition for the swap was to abandon
hostility and resolutions. But the negative votes by Brazil and Turkey
indicate the definite failure of the UNSC."Asked if Ahmadinezhad is
concerned about a possible US military aggression against Iran, he said:
"Of course this is what the Americans wish for. They do not have any other
logic but the logic of force. They only speak with the language of
military force in the world. But they know it themselves that a military
attack on Iran leads to their own destruction. I am not saying that we
will attack against America. We absorb all their capabilities and will
repel the aggression. They know it themselves. Therefore, no leader in
America dares decide to attack Iran."The interview ended at 1609 GMT.
OSC/LD will file text of the interview by 1700 GMT on 6 July.(Description
of Source: Tehran Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1 in
Persian -- state-run national television, officially controlled by the
office of the supreme leader)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

37) Back to Top
Filipino Militants Demand Justice for Death of Interpreter Working for US
Troops
Report by Jade C. Zaldivar of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex from t he Top of the
Nation section: "Militants demand justice on interpreter's death" -
Sun.Star Network Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:42:54 GMT
DAVAO CITY - Justice on the murder of a Filipino interpreter working for
the American troops was called anew on Sunday by militants demanding for
an independent probe on US military intervention and cover-up.

Also on Friday, human rights advocates, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Bayan), held a march rally and lighted torches condemning the alleged
murder of Gregan Cardeno.

Around 100 militants marched from Ponciano St., Bonifaco St., Bolton St.,
Rizal Ext., Claveria St., to Freedom Park here.

"Cardeno is a clear victim of the US military forces operating in the
country, and whose case gives credence to the need for the scrapping by
the Aquino administration of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and
the abroga tion of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)," Bayan Southern
Mindanao Region spokesperson John Birdondo said.

Birondo earlier said the US Army "is proud of having high-tech
fact-finding measures but when it came to Gregan's death, they did not
lift a finger to find the truth behind his death." Not suicide

Cardeno, 34, a resident of Zamboanga City, reportedly committed suicide by
hanging himself using a bed sheet in his room inside the camp of 103rd
Brigade of the Philippine Army in Camp Ranao, Saber, Marawi City.

But contrary to police reports, Bayan said its own investigation revealed
a foul play in Cardeno's death.

Cardeno died on February 2 this year, three days after he signed his job
contract, under "unclear circumstances."

Cardeno family, who was informed on February 3 on the incident, sought
help from Kawagib, a human rights group, and In-Peace Zamboanga to search
for the truth.

Sensing foul play, the fami ly requested the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) in Zamboanga City to do an autopsy on Cardeno's body
whose results were released on March 4.

Bayan noted the results of the Fact Finding Mission conducted by Kawagib
last March 2 to 4, 2010 triggered suspicion on the real cause of Cardeno's
death.

The autopsy report indicated puncture wounds on Cardeno's right foot, on
the inner part of the left leg, and on the upper right arm. The autopsy
also reported Cardeno's enlarged scrotum and opening of his anus, and
injuries on his head.

"The autopsy alone would show evidences of several puncture wounds,
contusions and hematoma in the head of the cadaver that could have been
caused forcefully by other persons," Birondo said.

Kawagib secretary general Ali Bayla Indayla said there was a conspiracy to
make it appear the cause of death was suicide.

"The family was informed that they should not head to the headquarters but
to the mor gue. A suspicion was immediately formed in their minds when
they saw signs abuse in his body. When they asked for the investigation
evidences were not preserved; the bed sheet was not secured by the PNP,
the messages, photos, and call registers in Gregan's cellphone were
deleted. The statements between the police who first saw Gregan's body and
those from the US troops differed," Indayla said. Misplaced

Bayan said that at 7:48 a.m. of February 2, Cardeno's elder sister Carivel
received a text message from her brother that he was not brought to
Cotabato but to Marawi City instead.

At 4 p.m. of the same day, Cardeno called his wife Myrna crying and
telling her that he was doing a job different from being an interpreter.
He further said that the job was difficult and he wanted to go home.

Cardeno, recruited by Skylink Security Agency, was supposed to leave for
Cotabato City to work as interpreter of Bahasa language for the US
military troops under Join t Special Operations Task Force-Philippines
(JSOTFP) through Javier Ignacio, commander of Western Mindanao Command.

Skylink is a subcontractor of Dyne International, which supplies manpower
to the US Army worldwide.

"Gregan was not a ble to bring himself to say what 'job' it was the troops
made him do. What caused more suspicions were the inconsistencies in the
statements of SPO3 Ali Guibon Rangiris on the part of the local police and
Capt. Kay of the US military. Rangiris first reported to Gregan's family
that they saw his body hanging on the roof of his room. He later retracted
his statement and had admitted that the body of Gregan was already lying
on the floor when they arrived at the scene of incident," Birondo said.

"There are more to dig out in this case and we will know the truth no
matter what it takes. This is just one of the many atrocities wrought by
the presence of US military forces in the areas where the Balikatan
exercises are being conducted," he added.

Bayan said Cardeno's case is a clear test for President Benigno Aquino III
in regards to promoting genuine patriotism and respect for national
sovereignty given.

"Aquino has been a clear choice by the US government as its next puppet in
Asia during the last elections. Pres. Aquino should act on Cardeno's case
now and revoke the VFA and the MDT," Birondo said.

(Description of Source: Metro Manila Sun.Star Network Online in English --
Website of the Sun.Star network of community newspapers -- Sun.Star
Bacolod, Sun.Star Baguio, Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, Sun.Star Cebu, Sun.Star
Davao, Sun.Star Dumaguete, Sun.Star General Santos, Sun.Star Iloilo,
Sun.Star Manila, Sun.Star PampangaSun.Star Pangasinan, and Sun.Star
Zamboanga; URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/)

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holder. Inquir ies regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

38) Back to Top
ROK 'Trying To Convince' ASEAN Security Group To Condemn DPRK Over Sinking
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Chang Jae-soon: "S. Korea Trying to Convince
ARF to Condemn N. Korea Over Ship Sinking" - Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:11:27 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

39) Back to Top
Activist Urges Community of Democracies To Help Burma's Political
Transition - Democratic Voice of Burma
Monday July 5, 2010 23:26:36 GMT
(Begin Dr Khin Zaw Win recording) Hilary Clinton was the guest of honor
from among the foreign ministers. Former US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright was also there. Lech Walesa, former Polish President, also
attended the ceremony. Hilary delivered an address, Madeleine also
delivered an address and of course Burma's affairs were also mentioned in
the talks where they said Burma is still not yet free. Then, Polish
Foreign Affairs Minister (Radoslaw) Sikorski said he wanted to ask the two
invited activists, one from Belarus and another from Burma who are
attending the ceremony, to present their cases. What I said was Burma is
going through a political transitio n in a very difficult manner, that the
election is approaching although we do not know the date yet, and there
are many difficulties facing democracy. At this juncture, if you do not
take notice and help this democratic transition then it will not be easy
and the people will face a lot of hardships. Moreover, there is the
problem of the ceasefire groups and to bare the facts, so far there is no
political solution. The situation is like an end of a civil war where the
people lack development. If you want the political transition to succeed
then you cannot neglect Burma but give assistance. All what I have said is
not because I support the incumbent government. I was jailed for 11 years
for opposing the government. I am not affiliated with any organization and
these are all my own personal views which I am presenting to you for the
good of my country. (end recording)

(Description of Source: Oslo Democratic Voice of Burma in Burmese -- Radio
station run by a Norwa y-based nonprofit Burmese media organization and
Burmese exiles. One of the more reputable sources in the Burmese exile
media, focusing on political, economic, and social issues.)

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40) Back to Top
Watchdog Claims '3 Oil Firms Fuel Nuclear Proliferation in Burma'
Report by Kang Hyun-kyung, staff reporter: "'3 Oil Firms Fuel Nuclear
Proliferation in Myanmar'" - The Korea Times Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:20 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Times Online in English -- Website
of The Korea Times, an independent and moderate English-langua ge daily
published by its sister daily Hanguk Ilbo from which it often draws
articles and translates into English for publication; URL:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

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41) Back to Top
Burma Said Using Revenue From US, French Energy Giants To Build Nuclear
Arms
AFP Report: "Energy giants fund Myanmar nuclear drive: rights group" - AFP
Monday July 5, 2010 10:30:19 GMT
(Description of Source: Hong Kong AFP in English -- Hong Kong service of
the independent French press agency Agence France-Presse)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
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42) Back to Top
Bulgarian Defense Minister Angelov Views Antimisisle Defense System
Variants
Interview with Bulgarian Defense Minister Anyu Angelov by an unidentified
anchor; carried by Bulgarian National Television "Day Begins" program at
0450 GMT on 5 July -- live - BTA Radiotelevizionen Monitor Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:43:37 GMT
(Angelov) Good morning.

(Anchor) Minister Angelov has just completed an important visit to the
United States which has been related to Bulgaria's national security and
its development, and to important issues such as the deployment of
elements of the antimissile defense system on our territory, purchasing a
fighter for the needs of our Air Force, and negotiations about the
intentions in Afghanistan, which perhaps has also been discussed. Let us
begin with the antimissile defense system. Specifically, what have you
achieved? Have there been any specific results in connection with this
subject?

(Angelov) Both we and the US side have become convinced that it would be
exceptionally important for the NATO summit meeting in Lisbon in November
to adopt a decision on turning NATO's antimissile defense system in Europe
into the alliance's crucial mission. Both we and the US side support this.
In addition, we have discussed the possible variants of both sides
contributing to the construction of this system. Naturally, the US side
has its own attitude which has already been announced at the end of 2009.
We highly assess this attitude, namely, creating the possibilities for an
antimissile defense system for all NATO member-states and Eu ropean
countries against medium- and short-distance ballistic missiles.

The second thing which has been very important, has been discussing the
manners in which this contribution could be effected. For us it is
important to know that... actually, there are three manners. First -
participating in financing the antimissile defense system. This would not
be a great contribution - about 200 million euro for the entire alliance
of NATO, the United State contributing the same amount.

(Anchor) Some 200 million euro for the entire...

(Angelov) Some 200 million for 10 years and divided among 28 countries.
The second manner is to participate in the modernization of our
antimissile defense system with several missile complexes, which we
already have in our country. They could participate in the antimissile
defense system, although their possibilities are rather small. Therefore,
it is important to think about the future after 2013-2014, and about
modernizing Bulg aria's land antimissile defense system. The third variant
involves - if possible requested - the deployment of elements of the
NATO's antimissile defense system on the territory of Bulgaria. The
purpose of those elements would be intercepting the launching of ballistic
missiles and their destruction in the air. As well-known the United States
and Romania have concluded an agreement on the deployment of active means
for destroying such missiles. Now the issue emerges of deploying other
elements such as command staffs, radar installations, and so on.

(Anchor) What do you see as the most useful variant?

(Angelov) No talks have begun so far on the third variant. (passage
omitted on NATO's Lisbon summit having to adopt first a decision on the
deployment of the antimissile defense system)

(Anchor) Do we have possibilities to effect the third variant... with
Romania...?

(Angelov) Of course we have the possibilities of effecting the variant.
However, from the technological, geographic, and physical points of view
our country is not the best place for deploying radar installations of the
antimissile defense system.

(Anchor) We are talking about the NATO system, right? I mean NATO's
antimissile defense system.

(Angelov) Precisely.

(Anchor) Not the US antimissile defense system.

(Angelov) No - the Americans participate as a NATO member-state, although
the US contribution is greater than the contribution of any other country.

(Anchor) What risks would the antimissile defense system protect us from?
Missiles from Iran and Syria or what?

(Angelov) Actually, the antimissile defense system is aimed mainly and
first of all against medium- and short-range ballistic missiles. Specific
countries in the Middle East have such missiles and naturally, under
certain conditions they could become a serious threat. The very existence
of such possibilities on the part of certain Middle East cou ntries
represents a risk and this allows us to say that in the future the basic
threat would not be for our country's land borders but rather from far
away from Bulgaria's borders - from regions in which terrorism is bred.
The possibility exists of carrying out terror acts against Bulgaria and
other NATO member-states. Third -- and this is very important - such
countries would have in future the possibility of striking our country not
only with conventional but also with nuclear weapons.

(Anchor) Is Russia's position on this matter important? Does Russia's
position have any importance for Bulgaria? Some strong opinions have been
expressed on this matter.

(Angelov) We have agreed with US Secretary of Defense Gates that Russia is
important and that it must somehow be attracted to participate in NATO's
antimissile defense system in Europe. Therefore, we support the talks
which are conducted now both in the NATO-Russia Council and the bilateral
US-Russian talks o n strengthening confidence. Actually the talks aim at
clarifying what all this is about and against whom are those measures
aimed - I mean the antimissile defense system. In any event, for NATO it
is important to maintain good mutual relations -- relations of confidence
- with Russia.

(Anchor) If the third variant is effected - would Bulgarian soldiers
service the complexes you have mentioned or other soldiers would be
deployed here?

(Angelov) It is too early to speak about it. In principle - if those are
US elements - they most probably would be serviced at the beginning by US
soldiers. However, generally speaking, this belongs to the circle of
assumptions. (passage omitted on the need of modernizing the Bulgarian Air
Force through the purchase of new fighters)

(Description of Source: Sofia BTA Radiotelevizionen Monitor Online in
Bulgarian -- Website of transcripts from radio, television, and print
media provided by BTA press agency, which is state-ow ned but politically
neutral)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

43) Back to Top
Bulgarian FM Mladenov Views Relations With Russia, Middle East Conflict
Interview with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov by Tsvetanka
Rizova; carried by Nova Television "Face-to-Face" program at 1505 GMT on 4
July -- live - BTA Radiotelevizionen Monitor Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:44:33 GMT
(Mladenov) Hello. (passage omitted on Foreign Ministry's financial
difficulties)

(Rizova) Let us turn to a hot topic - something is happening between
Bulgaria and Russia. Perhaps you, as Bulgaria' s first diplomat would
speak more gently on this subject. However, Rumen Ovcharov from the
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has said that we have succeeded to quarrel
with Russia because of the energy projects, Germany because of RWE and
E.on, and France because of the "Areva" supplies for the "Belene" Nuclear
Power Plant. For his part, former Minister of Economy and Energy Petur
Dimitrov (from BSP) has said that we are heading toward a cold war with
Russia. A cold war with Russia?

(Mladenov) Well - they both are ridiculous. Please excuse me for putting
it this way - but they really are ridiculous.

(Rizova) What is ridiculous?

(Mladenov) It is ridiculous because... let us focus on two things. First -
what the government formulates as problematic in the manner in which the
profit of some investors is calculated is a purely internal legislative
manner. There is a Bulgarian legislation which must be observed. If Mr
Ovcharov and Mr Dimi trov still think in terms of Bulgaria being a Soviet
Republic in which certain bosses could do whatever they like - they must
understand that the situation has changed. There are laws and the laws
must be the same for both Bulgarian and foreign investors.

As far as relations with Russia are concerned - excuse me, but precisely
this small group within the BSP has turned the entire subject of
Bulgarian-Russian relations to a matter of... pipes - existing pipes,
projects to construct pipes...

(Rizova) Pipes which actually do not exist.

(Mladenov) ... future pipes, and so on. If you think that relations
between two countries...

(Rizova) ... are a matter of pipes...

(Mladenov) ... are a matter of pipes - then it is too bad. This means that
those people and other people like them openly and directly do not work
for the interests of Bulgaria. Bulgaria has an entire cluster of issues it
discusses with its partners, including Russia. Energy project s, cultural
projects, education projects, tourism possibilities, and alleviating the
visa regime -- a subject on which we have been working in recent months.

(Rizova) Incidentally, all people from the tourist branch claim that
alleviating the visa regime is a positive factor.

(Mladenov) This is an entire cluster of issues and as long as I serve in
my post I will not allow turning our relations with any state throughout
the world into single-subject relations. This means that with Russia we
will talk only about...

(Rizova) ... About pipes.

(Mladenov) Yes, about pipes, and with the United States - about the
antimissile defense system...

(Rizova) ... and the CIA.

(Mladenov) I do not know about that. With Romania we will not talk only
about a bridge, and with Serbia -- about something else. This is not the
manner in which we should work. (passage omitted on Bulgaria having to
protect its interests in upcoming energy projects negotiat ions with
Russia and on the need of curbing political appointments in Bulgaria's
foreign service)

(Rizova) One last question. Have you not exaggerated with your compliments
for Israel during your recent visit there? After all, entire Europe is
asking many questions and has reacted very sharply after Israel's behavior
toward the humanitarian flotilla? Have you not exaggerated with the
compliments and the friendship?

(Mladenov) I do not think so because being friends with Israel does not
mean that we are enemies of the Palestinians. During my visit to Israel I
have had also many good and useful meetings with representatives of the
Palestinian authority. Yesterday I have had a very long conversation with
my colleague - the Palestinian foreign minister, and if I am not mistaking
- their pre sident will visit Bulgaria in a week or two. However, I would
like to be...

(Rizova) You have said that the Europeans do not understand the Israelis.

(Mladenov) Yes, but I want to be correctly understood. Not everything we
have here in Europe could directly be projected on the Middle East. Let us
not forget that in the last 50 years most of Europe has been used to
serious, stable peace and economic prosperity, without conflicts. Here in
the Balkans we have not been used to this and precisely this is why I
think that we should be a bit more sensitive to the problems which
exist...

(Rizova) And more condescending toward Israel.

(Mladenov) No -- we are not more condescending. We openly speak about the
violations which have been committed with connection to the Gaza blockade
and the need to allow the supply of humanitarian goods to Gaza. Perhaps in
a week or two there would be a more interesting manner of approaching this
matter...

(Rizova) A more interesting manner... A final and very short question:
what have you wished to yourself at the Wailing Wall? I have seen your
photo there. If it is a secret -- a bi g secret -- you do not have to lie
to me.

(Mladenov) This is a private matter.

(Rizova) Very well -- thank you very much.

(Mladenov) I thank you.

(Description of Source: Sofia BTA Radiotelevizionen Monitor Online in
Bulgarian -- Website of transcripts from radio, television, and print
media provided by BTA press agency, which is state-owned but politically
neutral)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

44) Back to Top
Court Acquits US National Charged with Attempting to Sell World Cup
Tickets
Report by Khetiwe Chelemu: "American Freed after Tournament Tickets
Charges" - Times Live
Tuesday July 6, 2010 0 4:23:24 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg Times Live in English -- Combined
website of the credible privately-owned daily and weekly newspapers The
Times and Sunday Times, with an emphasis on news from South Africa. The
site also features multimedia and blogs. URL: www.timeslive.co.za)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

45) Back to Top
Sowetan Asks Zuma for Answers on Reports of 'Turmoil' in Presidency
Editorial: "Speak Up, Mr President" - Sowetan Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:44:34 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg Sowe tan Online in English -- Website
of pro-worker daily owned by leading media organization Avusa Limited,
Sowetan, generally targeting a mainstream black audience. The paper
reports on grassroots and working class issues and occasionally carries
unique political reports, but leans toward tabloid-style reporting. The
paper is one of South Africa's most popular dailies and is widely read in
small towns, settlements, and rural areas; URL: http://www.sowetan.co.za)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

46) Back to Top
DA Questions 'Fugitive' Lawyer's Appointment as Adviser to Defense
Minister
Report by Wyndham Hartley: "Spy Watcher Ducks Query on Advisers
Clearance" - Business D ay Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:46 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg Business Day Online in English --
Website of South Africa's only business-focused daily, which carries
business, political, and general news. It is widely read by decisionmakers
and targets a "higher-income and better-educated consumer" and attempts to
attract "aspiring and emerging business." Its editorials and commentaries
are generally critical of government policies; URL:
http://www.bday.co.za/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

47) Back to Top
Top W. Cape ANC Officials Threaten Legal Action against former Premier
Report by Domenic Mahlangu and Sally Evans:" Rasool under Siege" - "Former
Premier's ANC 'Enemies' in Western Cape Threaten Legal Action" - Times
Live
Monday July 5, 2010 05:35:05 GMT
(Description of Source: Johannesburg Times Live in English -- Combined
website of the credible privately-owned daily and weekly newspapers The
Times and Sunday Times, with an emphasis on news from South Africa. The
site also features multimedia and blogs. URL: www.timeslive.co.za)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

48) Back to Top
Mozambique Opposition Party Urges 'Drug Baron' Investigation
Unattributed report: "Mozambique Democratic Movement Demands (Urgent)
Intervention by the State" - Mediafax
Sunday June 6, 2010 08:04:52 GMT
The fact is, this case looks set to get a lot of tongues wagging yet. For
one thing, as the guardian of justice and legality in Mozambique the
Attorney General's Office is expected to make a pronouncement in respect
of this case in the next few days. In fact, there have been requests to
that end since the early hours of Wednesday (2 June) when that report
first came to light.

The Public Integrity Center already has made it clear that to investigate
the case and make justice on the basis of Mozambican law is the least the
State of Mozambique can do with a view to ensuring that the law is
complied with in what is supposed to be a State based on the rule of law.

Meanwhile at this stage what the Attorney General's Office has said has
been that it cannot make a pronouncement as yet because - so it says - it
is still looking into the matter. The Attorney General's Office has not
disclosed precisely what source informed it of the Momad Bachir Sulemane
case, henceforth referred to as the "MBS case" but it has given the
assurance that it is working on it.

The Mozambique Democratic Movement, MDM

The MDM led by Daviz Simango has been the first political force in the
country to come out in public and offer an opinion in respect of this
case. From the MDM's point of view the "MBS case" needs to be dealt with
as urgently as possible taking into consideration the need to clean and
restore the country's good name. In addition, he pointed out that there
was the constitutional need for the State of Mozambique to protect its
citizens hence the need to clarify the issue at the earliest possible
convenience.

Speaking to journalist in the city of Mapu to on 3 June, MDM Chief Whip in
the Assembly of the Republic Lutero Simango said that it is important to
take into consideration the complete denial issued by the accused in
respect of the commission of the actions he has been accused of. In light
of that, he said, the State of Mozambique should initiate diplomatic
contacts with a view to obtaining from the US authorities the necessary
clarifications to guarantee the good name of Mozambican citizens, all
depending on the outcome of the investigation.

Lutero Simango made it clear that if the US Treasury Department's charges
are true then they could affect the Mozambican economy to some extent
seeing Momad Bachir Sulemane is a businessman who has entrepreneurial
links, relations, and interests with other small Mozambican businessmen.

He made it clear that "the fact that the Americans have cut commercial
ties with the three companies mentioned (as received, no previous mention
of those companies) means, in ot her words, that all businessmen who were
working with MBS face the risk of seeing their own business transactions
affected in one way or another."

Afonso Dhlakama is expected to comment today

In another development, Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo) President
Afonso Macacho Marceta Dhlakama is expected to make a pronouncement on the
MBS case later today even though of late he has kept away from cases in
the media.

The Renamo leader has resided in the northern city of Nampula since the
latter part of 2009. He intends to speak to the media in respect of the US
Treasury Department's accusations against Momad Bachir Sulemane and the
alleged existence of training camps for terrorists in the provinces of
Nampula and Tete.

NEFA Foundation, an organization that works in the field of anti-terrorism
in the world has said that those terrorists were apparently undergoing
training to carry out attacks during the World Cup soccer tournament in
neighb oring South Africa from 11 June to 11 July.

Mediafax received confirmation that the Renamo leader would be making a
comment today from Renamo spokesman Fernando Mazanga who was approved by
Mediafax in connection with the fact that the Obama administration had
placed one of the 10 richest men in Mozambique on its list of drug barons
living abroad.

For its part, the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) Party has
not made an official pronouncement in respect of the matter.

Frelimo Secretary for Mobilization and Propaganda Edson Macuacua was
attending meetings the whole of yesterday afternoon so he was not able to
discuss the matter or issue his party' s comment on the MBS case.

As it turns out, Momad Bachir Sulemane is an active Frelimo Party member
and in fact he is believed to have been one of the party's major sponsors
since Mozambique became independent in 1975. It should be recalled that
Sulemane has categorically and completely rejected all accusations that
have been made against him and he has called on the US authorities to
prove to him and all appropriate institutions the accusations that have
been made against him and his entrepreneurial group.

(Description of Source: Maputo Mediafax in Portuguese -- Privately-owned
daily newssheet, received via e-mail)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

49) Back to Top
Al-Shabaab Leader Calls For Attacks on AU Troops, Warns Uganda, Burundi -
AFP (World Service)
Monday July 5, 2010 17:41:52 GMT
(Description of Source: Paris AFP (World Service) in English -- world news
service of the independent French news agency Agence France Presse)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

50) Back to Top
Korea-China Biz Convention Opens in Shenyang - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:06:27 GMT
(DONG-A ILBO) - A major Korea-China business convention opened Monday in
Shenyang, the first time for the event to be held in China.

To run through Thursday, Global Korean Business Convention 2010 China will
bring together some 1,500 Korean business leaders, including more than 400
operating in China and ethnic Koreans there, as well as 200 ethnic Korean
businessmen based in the U.S., Ca nada and Indonesia.

Also participating are Korean companies planning to advance into China as
well as Korean-Chinese businessmen.

Despite the convention typically being for small and medium-size
companies, major Korean groups and corporations doing business in China
including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Cheil Jedang and SK will attend.

Three hundred Chinese businessmen will participate in the event for the
first time. They have promised to strengthen exchanges and collaboration
with Korea through the Korea-China Goods Fair and Top 100 Korea-China
Business Exchange Meeting Tuesday.

Shenyang hosted the event to set up a platform where Korean and Chinese
businessmen can conduct mutual exchanges and attract interest in Dongbei.
The Shenyang city government hosts the annual fair "Korea Week" featuring
investment seminars and cultural events.

The World Federation of Korean Association of Commerce and the World
Federation of Overseas Korean Tr aders' Association will hold a general
meeting in Shenyang on making inroads into the rapidly rising Chinese
market. The Korean Community China will hold a region-wide meeting of
chairmen for exchanges with Korean business leaders from abroad.

In addition, more than 30 other events will be held simultaneously at the
Shenyang Science Park and the Marriott Hotel, including the Korea-China
Economic Trade Goods Fair and Korea-China High-Tech Industry Exchange
Meeting.

To spread Korean culture in China, events such as an event for the
globalization of Korean food, a Korean film festival, and a Korean
universities education fair will also be held.

(Description of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga .com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

51) Back to Top
Canada Beef Ban May Be Lifted, With Provisos - JoongAng Daily Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 00:48:13 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - Korea is considering lifting its import ban on Canadian
beef within the year if an understanding can be reached on maintaining
trade limits on intestinal parts, government sources said yesterday.

Sources at the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said
that because Canada reported 17 cases of mad cow disease, Seoul will
insist on tighter control compared to U.S. beef."The goal is to retain t
he ban on so-called specified risk materials or SRMs, which cover tonsils,
internal organs and intestines, which pose the greatest risk of passing on
mad cow disease to humans," said an official who declined to be
named.Seoul lifted its ban on U.S. beef in late July 2008 after reaching a
deal on what parts could be imported and a ceiling on the age of animals
providing the meat. In the United States, there have been three reported
cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, suspected of causing the fatal
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.The official added that Seoul is
looking at guidelines set by the European Union on beef trade that
effectively ban most SRMs imports.Other insiders, however, said that even
if an agreement is reached on Canadian beef, the exact time to lift the
ban will be decided after deliberations take place in the National
Assembly. This, the official speculated could take time.(Description of
Source: Seoul JoongAng Daily Online in English -- Webs ite of
English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

52) Back to Top
Chief Editor's Artricle on Saudi Kings Presence at G20 summit, Talks With
Obama
Article by Chief Editor Tariq al-Humayd: Ahmadinezhad and Netanyahu ..
Have You Seen the Picture? - Al-Sharq al-Awsat Online
Monday July 5, 2010 21:58:29 GMT
(Descr iption of Source: London Al-Sharq al-Awsat Online in Arabic --
Website of influential London-based pan-Arab Saudi daily; editorial line
reflects Saudi official stance. URL: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

53) Back to Top
ROK Editorial Urges Military To Prepare for Possible DPRK Attack Not Wait
for UN Action
Editorial: "Condemning N.K." - The Korea Herald Online
Monday July 5, 2010 09:35:28 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul The Korea Herald Online in English --
Website of the generally pro-government English-language daily The Korea
Herald; URL: http ://www.koreaherald.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

54) Back to Top
ROK President Orders 'Painstaking Preparation' for OPCON Transition
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Lee Chi-dong: "Lee Orders Painstaking
Preparation For Wartime Control Transition" - Yonhap
Monday July 5, 2010 06:25:44 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. P ermission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

55) Back to Top
Thai Commentary Says Thaksin Lobbying To Make US Intervene in Country's
Affairs
Commentary by Nation News Agency: "Thaksin Has Hired Lobbyists To Persuade
US To Intervene in Thailand's Internal Affairs" - Krungthep Thurakit
Monday July 5, 2010 05:31:04 GMT
In a latest development, Thaksin's legal advisor Nopphadon Patthama flew
to Washington DC for meeting US Government figures and congressmen. His
trip was made in the hope of persuading the United States to intervene in
Thailand's internal affairs in the wake of the recent turmoil in the
kingdom.

Listed below are the records of Thaksin's use of "lobbyists" ; in the past
many years. He has relied on lobbyists since the time he was the Thai
prime minister.

When Thaksin was serving as the Thai Government leader, the Shin Satellite
Company hired Barbour Griffith &amp; Rogers, LLC (BGR), to lobby for him.
Registered as a lobbying firm, the BGR won a contract to provide services
to the Shin Satellite between January 2001 and June 2004. It should be
noted that Dr Phrommin Loetsuridet had held the post of the Shin Satellite
vice president until 2000 after which he became the president of the CS
Communication Company. Then in 2003, he was appointed the prime minister's
secretary general under the Thaksin-led government.

After a military coup removed Thaksin from power, Thaksin used his own
name in hiring lobbyists. In late 2006, Thaksin signed a contract for BGR
services. In a report form submitted to the US Senate that same year, the
BGR received $160,000 dollars or about 5.6 million bahts (B) from Thaksin.
Three lob byists assigned to Thaksin were Robert Blackwill, Walker
Roberts, and Edward M Rogers Jr.

In 2007, Thaksin hired two lobbying firms, the BGR and the Baker Botts
LLP. The Baker Botts assigned James A Baker IV as Thaksin's lobbyist and
charged him $80,000 that year. The BGR, meanwhile, received up to $920,000
from Thaksin over the same period. This means in 2007 alone, Thaksin
shelled out up to one million dollars or about B 35 million for lobbying
services alone.

According to the Open Secrets' report, Thaksin continued to hire
lobbyists, but via the BGR alone. In a registration form, the lobbying fee
is to be below $10,000. However, the total cost from lobbying has not yet
been disclosed. Information will come up only after a report form is
submitted to the US Senate on July 20.

In a lobbyist registration form, the BGR has specified that it is hired
not just to lobby for Thaksin but also to "provide guidance and counsel
with regards to Thaksin's int erest in Washington DC and abroad." Lately,
"Robert Amsterdam" has appeared on various newspapers as an energetic
lawyer for Thaksin too. Who is Amsterdam? Why has Thaksin entrusted
Amsterdam with the mission to fight any legal charges against him in
relation to the red-shirt rally?

According to the web site of Yugoslavia's Borba newspaper, Amsterdam is
the owner of an international law firm "Amsterdam and Peroff." Established
in 1979, this firm has expertise in complex commercial arbitration and
political cases in emerging economies. Amsterdam and Peroff has offices in
many cities around the world like in London, Washington DC, and Toronto.
However, it is widely believed that Thaksin has turned to this law firm
because of its outstanding familiarity with international business laws
and complicated political cases especially in which the government is a
party in conflict and is accused of abuse of authority.

Also Amsterdam's main duty i s not just defending Thaksin in court. To say
the truth, his role is more like a "lobbyist" than a "lawyer." Pulling out
a lot of cool gimmicks and relying on propaganda, Amsterdam has already
attracted the world's attention to Thaksin.

It is clear -- Thaksin's movements overseas are now based on the networks
of Amsterdam and Peroff offices. Via these offices, the lobbying efforts
for Thaksin are going on in Asia and Europe alike.

These efforts also go hand in hand with Nopphadon's trip to the US .
Nopphadon flew there to persuade US decision-makers to intervene in
Thailand's internal affairs.

(Description of Source: Bangkok Krungthep Thurakit in Thai -- Sister daily
publication of the English-language The Nation providing good coverage,
analyses of economic and political issues with editorials, commentaries
strongly critical of former Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat, his Phuea
Thai Party and the red shirts. Owned by Nation Multimedi a Group. Audited
circulation of 105,000 as of 2009.)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

56) Back to Top
Report Says World Banks Lending For Pakistan To Reach $11.8 Billion
Shortly
Report by Sabir Shah: WB lending for Pakistan to reach $11.8 bn shortly
- The News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:31:03 GMT
LAHORE: Pakistan's net outstanding debt obligations towards the World Bank
will swell from $11.65 billion currently to $11.8 billion shortly, once
the recently-approved $146 million loan from the leading donor to
rehabilitate the country's water resources reaches the government coffers.
A break-up of Pakistan's current liabilities towards the World Bank shows
that while the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) has dished out credits of over $1.65 billion, its sister concern
called the International Development Association (IDA) has approved credit
lines to the tune of $9.89 billion so far.

These statistics also show that Pakistan, one of the 187 member countries
of the 66-year old World Bank, owes nearly 22 per cent of its total
external debt obligations of $54 billion to this eminent Development
Financial Institution (DFI), which comprises the IBRD and the IDA. This
Bretton Woods institution, during its long but eventful association with
Pakistan, has also approved grants worth $19.3 million. With an Exchange
Rate Adjustment of $110.13 million, the net obligation of the borrower
(Pakistan) thus stands at $11.653 billion at present, and does not include
the recently-approved $146 million credit to improve country's irrigatio n
sector through prudent water management.

Meanwhile, Pakistan owes $11.06 billion to the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), over $11.3 billion to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), $63
million to the European Investment Bank (EIB), $319 million to the Islamic
Development Bank (IDB), $187 million to the International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD), $15 million to the NORD Development Fund
and $23 million to the OPEC Fund.

Pakistan's bilateral external debt obligations primarily comprise two
sources---the Paris Club countries ($14 billion) and the Non-Paris Club
countries ($2.55 billion).

Pakistan's out-standing debt obligations towards the Paris Club countries
are as follows: Austria ($67 million), Belgium ($34 million), Canada ($531
million), Finland ($6 million), France ($2.17 billion), Germany ($1.82
billion), Italy ($105 million), Japan ($6.67 billion), Korea ($476
million), Netherlands ($117 million), Norway ($21 million), Russia ($121
mill ion), Spain ($80 million), Sweden ($153 million), Switzerland ($108
million), United Kingdom ($10 million) and the United States ($1.51
billion).

Pakistan's total liabilities towards the Non-Paris Club countries are as
follows: China ($1.88 billion), Kuwait ($105 million), Libya ($5 million),
Saudi Arabia ($442 million) and United Arab Emirates ($121 million).

Pakistan's total liabilities on issuing different bonds etc have also gone
beyond the $1.57 billion figure till the filing of this report. It is
imperative to note that Pakistan's net external debt, which is more than
twice its internal debt, is estimated to grow by more than 43 per cent
over the next five years.

According to the IMF, Pakistan's external debt will increase by another $2
billion in 2011-12, and this foreign debt will consequently exceed an
alarming figure of $72 billion by the fiscal 2015-16.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

57) Back to Top
UN Security Council No Closer to Decision Over Cheonan - Chosun Ilbo
Online
Monday July 5, 2010 23:18:33 GMT
(CHOSUN ILBO) - The UN Security Council has failed to come up with a
response to North Korea's sinking of the Navy corvette Ch'o'nan (Cheonan)
a month since South Korea referred the torpedo attack to it.

Seoul is discussing with the U.S. and other allies how to persuade the
UNSC to adopt at least a chairman's statement condemning the North's
provocation. As a non-permanent member, South Korea cannot attend meetings
of permanent members, but permanent members the U.S., the U.K. and Japan,
which support South Korea's position, have kept meeting behind the
scenes.But China, another permanent member, continues to block any term or
phrase that would point directly to its ally North Korea as the culprit.A
diplomatic source on Monday said UNSC members feel under pressure to reach
some kind of decision. No regulations stipulate that cases at the UNSC are
dropped unless they are handled by a certain deadline, but if discussion
is delayed indefinitely due to deadlock caused by China's opposition, the
Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) case could be put on the back burner indefinitely since
the council has a heavy load of other cases. Some government officials are
talking about getting China to abstain from voting on a resolution, if it
is realistically difficult to persuade all permanent members to adopt a
chairman's statement. China faces criticism that a veto would amount to
tacit support of North Korea's armed attack on the Ch'o'nan
(Cheonan).(Description of Source: Seoul Chosun Ilbo Online in English --
English website carrying English summaries and full translations of
vernacular hard copy items of the largest and oldest daily Chosun Ilbo,
which is conservative in editorial orientation -- strongly nationalistic,
anti-North Korea, and generally pro-US; URL: http://english.chosun.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

58) Back to Top
Article Slams EU for Dumping Toxic Waste in African Coasts Despite
Legislation
Article by Paul Redfern: "EU, US Dumping Toxic Waste in Africa" - The East
African Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:19 GMT
(Description of Source: Nairobi The East African Online in English --
Website of the weekly (Monday) English-language newspaper published by the
Nation Media Group; coverage is primarily concentrated on Kenya, Tanzania,
and Uganda but includes other regions as well; URL:
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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59) Back to Top
Fore ign Ministry Says Slovakia To Remain NATO Liaison Country for Ukraine
Report by Petra Prochazkova: "Clinton Welcomed in Kiev by a Law Against
NATO; the Alliance Has Not Closed Its Door on Ukraine, Even Though the
Country Is Turning to the East" - Sme Online
Monday July 5, 2010 10:25:39 GMT
According to Peter Stano, spokesman for the Slovak Foreign Ministry, the
Slovak Embassy will remain a liaison embassy for NATO. "We took note of
Ukraine's decision, and some activities focused on the technical
preparation of the country for membership had to be modified," confirmed
Stano. However, Slovakia will continue to help Kiev, for example, with
army reform. (passage omitted on Yanukovych buying narcotics via the
Internet to demonstrate how easy it is to buy narcotics in Ukraine)

(Description of Source: Bratislava Sme Online in Slovak -- Website of
leading daily with a center-right, pro-Western orientation; targets
affluent, college-educated readers in mid-size to large cities; URL:
http://www.sme.sk)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

60) Back to Top
Protesters against censorship detained during Clinton's visit to Ukraine -
Ukrayinska Pravda Online
Monday July 5, 2010 08:34:25 GMT
Ukraine

Protesters against censorship in mass media were detained during a meeting
between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Kiev Polytechnic
Institute's students on 2 July, the Ukrayinska Pravda website reported on
3 July.The activists of the Freedom of Sp eech initiative held posters
saying "This country has censorship" and distributed the initiative's
brochures.In particular, police detained the initiative's coordinator,
Vyacheslav Kononov. Kononov said that the protesters tried to draw
Clinton's attention to facts of censorship in mass media and "report
attempts by the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Valeriy
Khoroshkovskyy, to close down TVi and 5 Kanal TV channels."The activists
said that the picket was legal and that they had informed the Kiev city
administration about it in advance.(Description of Source: Kiev Ukrayinska
Pravda Online in Ukrainian -- Website of independent newspaper that
strongly supported the opposition under former President Leonid Kuchma;
URL: http://www.pravda.com.ua/)

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61) Back to Top
Iraqi Sources Claim Biden Proposed Hot Line Between Iyad Allawi, White
House
Report by Mu'idd Fayyad in London: "Biden Meets Allawi Alone and Proposes
Hot Line Between him and the White House. Leader in Al-Iraqiyah List: US
Vice President Urged Agreement With Al-Maliki's Coalition" - Al-Sharq
al-Awsat Online
Monday July 5, 2010 09:41:30 GMT
Muhammad Allawi, a leading Al-Iraqiyah figure, called Allawi's meeting
with Biden "positive" and pointed out the "US Vice President praised
Allawi's wisdom and political experiences which the US administration view
with respect and special appreciation." The leader, who attended the
meeting, told "Al-Sharq al-Awsat" by telephone that "the US Vice President
expres sed his feelings that there is a need for Al-Iraqiyah List and the
State of Law Coalition (SLC), which is led by outgoing Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki, to agree since both coalitions represent the Iraqi street's
desire." He added that Biden underlined the importance of "forming a
national partnership government that includes everyone and does not
marginalize any and also "proposed setting up a hot telephone line between
Allawi and the White House so as to have a chance to discuss pending
issues and expressed President Barack Obama's desire to talk with
Al-Iraqiyah List's leader."

The Biden-Allawi meeting was held in Al-Isawi's house because it is
located in the Green Zone which the US Vice President was not allowed to
leave. Allawi also refused to have his meeting with Biden at the US
Embassy building and a venue representing Al-Iraqiyah was chosen.

On the other hand, Muhammad Allawi asserted that the "talks with the SLC
are good, po sitive, and moving in the right direction" adding that the
"contentious issues have not been discussed yet, which mainly revolve
around Al-Maliki's insistence on remaining in his post as the next
government's prime minister." He said: "Al-Iraqiyah List will not give up
its constitutional right to form the next government and any talk about
negotiating sovereign posts or other leading positions does not exist and
we have nothing to do with it. We have a constitutional right and it is
the choice of the voter who is expecting us to carry out the change."

On his part, Al-Isawi said Al-Iraqiyah List talked and continues to talk
with all the blocs, including the SLC and added: "We had the third meeting
with the SLC yesterday and therefore the talks between the List and the
other blocs are continuing and the timing of the US Vice President's visit
has nothing to do with the timings of these meetings."

Following the meeting with A llawi, Biden went to meet Al-Maliki. Sources
inside the Green Zone reported that Biden moved inside this zone in an
aircraft escorted by two aircrafts for protection. The meeting with Iraqi
National Alliance leader Ammar Al-Hakim was not held yesterday and might
be held today or tomorrow. (Passage omitted on Muqtada al-Sadr's statement
condemning US "pressures" to form Iraqi government)

(Description of Source: London Al-Sharq al-Awsat Online in Arabic --
Website of influential London-based pan-Arab Saudi daily; editorial line
reflects Saudi official stance. URL: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

62) Back to Top
500 Kg Of Cocaine Fro m Latin America Seized In Odessa - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 07:49:55 GMT
intervention)

ODESSA, July 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Border-guards and officers of the Ukrainian
security service (USS) have detained a record-big batch drugs - - half a
ton of cocaine in the Odessa sea commercial port, the press service of the
USS local department reported on Monday.The contraband cargo was found on
board a vessel which arrived from Latin America on July 3. During its
examination, containers which, according to documents, contained metal
scrap caused suspicion. Law enforcers and customs officers decided to
carefully study the cargo and were not mistaken - - powder of white color
welded in metal was found in all the containers. An express analysis
showed that it was pure cocaine. It took two days to remove the whole
batch of cocaine.It is not accidental that cargoes which come to Odessa
from Lat in America arouse interest of late. On June 29, a vessel from
Chile delivered an unusual cargo - - deck boards inside of which there
were hiding-places with 152 kilograms of cocaine.(Description of Source:
Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main government information agency)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

63) Back to Top
The US Can't Afford Benign Neglect Toward Ukraine
"The US Can't Afford Benign Neglect Toward Ukraine" -- The Daily Star
Headline - The Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:11:49 GMT
Friday, July 02, 2010

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, will b e visiting Ukraine
onJuly 4-5, and the event will provide her with an important opportunity
toreassure Ukrainians that the United States remains committed to
Ukraine-ssovereignty and democratic evolution.This signal is of critical
importance, because Ukraine-s hard-wonindependence and ability to pursue
closer ties to Euro-Atlantic institutionsare under threat. Many Ukrainians
feel that the US - indeed, most of theWest - has given up on their
country.When Viktor Yanukovych was elected president in February, many
Ukrainians hopedhis victory would end five years of political infighting
under former PresidentViktor Yushchenko and lead to increased stability,
reform, and national unity.These hopes have proven illusory. Rather than
bringing greater stability,Yanukovych has pursued a series of policies
that have exacerbated domestictensions and set the stage for Ukraine-s
drift back into Russia-seconomic and political orbit.In late April, the
coalition headed by Yanukovych railroad ed through Parliamenta 25-year
extension of the agreement, due to expire in 2017, that allows Russiato
base its Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol in Crimea. The extension of
thebasing accord until 2042 was accompanied by an agreement permitting the
returnof Russian intelligence officers to the Sevastopol base and the
termination ofUkraine-s long-term intelligence cooperation with NATO.The
agreement was ratified without proper parliamentary oversight and
inviolation of a constitutional provision forbidding foreign bases on
Ukrainianterritory. It provoked a virtual riot in the Parliament, complete
withfistfights, hurling of eggs, and smoke bombs.In exchange for extending
the base agreement, Russia agreed to cut by 30percent the price of gas
that it sells to Ukraine, throwing out the January2009 contract signed by
former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, which ended a17-day gas
crisis.But, given falling demand for gas, Russia had already begun
renegotiatingcontracts in Europe and gi ving customers discounts. Thus,
energy specialistspoint out that the 30 percent reduction simply brings
the price negotiated withYanukovych down to the current European average.
Indeed, the final price issimilar to the 2009 contract.The gas agreement,
moreover, undermines Ukraine-s incentive to reform itsinefficient and
corrupt energy sector, and commits the country to buy more gasin
subsequent years than it may need. At the same time, it increases
energydependence and economic reliance on Russia, hardening Ukraine into
aone-dimensional - Russia-leaning - foreign policy.That appears to be
precisely the Kremlin-s goal. Several days after theconclusion of the
energy agreement, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suggested ata news
conference in Sochi that Ukraine-s national energy company,Naftogaz,
should be merged with the state-owned Russian energy giant Gazprom.Such a
move would put Ukraine-s strategic network of gas pipelines underdirect
Russian control, and, as Tymoshenko, now the opposition leader, hasnoted,
would be tantamount to the 'full absorption of Ukraine byRussia.'The Obama
administration, including Clinton, initially portrayed these steps aspart
of a 'balancing act' on Yanukovych-s part. But there isa critical
difference between balancing and subservience. Yanukovych-spolicies will
significantly weaken Ukraine-s hard-won independence andits ability to
pursue closer ties to the Euro-Atlantic community, which the UShas
supported.The US and the European Union have a strong stake in keeping
open a Europeanoption for Ukraine. A reorientation of Ukrainian foreign
policy back towardRussia would shift the strategic balance in Europe and
have a negative impacton the prospects for democratic change on Europe-s
eastern periphery,making it much more difficult for Georgia and Moldova to
pursue theirpro-Western course.It would also have a dampening impact on
the long-term prospects for reform inBelarus by creating an eastern bloc
of Slavic nations sus picious of the West.Finally, Ukraine-s turn toward
Russia would set back prospects fordemocratic reform in Russia itself for
years, if not decades, and make anyserious 'reset' of US-Russian relations
in the near term much moredifficult.In short, now is not the time to
pursue a policy of benign neglect.Clinton-s trip should signal America-s
firm commitment to buildingan independent and democratic Ukraine, and make
clear that the US rejects aEuropean security order based on spheres of
influence. The EU should also beencouraged to be more forthright in
agreeing to an Association Agreement andfree-trade area.Taras Kuzio is
editor of Ukraine Analyst and a visiting fellow at the Centerfor
Transatlantic Relations at JohnsHopkins University-s School of Advanced
International Studies. F. StephenLarrabee holds the Distinguished Chair in
European Security at the RANDCorporation. THE DAILY STAR publishes this
commentary in collaboration withProject Syndicate (c)
(www.project-syndicate.o rg).(Description of Source: Beirut The Daily Star
Online in English -- Website of the independent daily, The Daily Star;
URL: http://dailystar.com.lb)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
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64) Back to Top
A Syria in Minor Key
"A Syria in Minor Key" -- NOW Lebanon Headline - NOW Lebanon
Monday July 5, 2010 05:32:04 GMT
The strategic vacuum the United States is leaving in the Middle East is

creating a dangerously unstable situation, arguably similar to the
oneimmediately preceding the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. This is characterized
by avoid in regional leadership and a disengaged Was hington incapable of
dictatingregional dynamics.While Iran has been seen to be challenging the
US order for a while now, it iscurrently common knowledge that Turkey is
also pushing to fill the vacuum andcarve out for itself a dominant
position in the Ottomans former Middle Easterndomains. But where does the
rise of these middle powers leave second-tier Arabcountries like Syria,
which has long claimed to be a vital regional player?Some have suggested
that a Turkish-Iranian balance of power would stabilize theregion by
containing Iranian influence. The test case they offer is Syria. Apopular
argument is that an ascendant Turkey that pulls Syria toward it wouldlead
to better Syrian-Turkish economic integration and greater
politicalmoderation in Damascus.This is a faulty reading. In reality, as
Turkey and Iran assert themselves,Syria is again falling back into its
historical role as the land betweengreater powers to its east, north and
south. With that, its claim of a keyregiona l role loses its credibility,
both in political and economic terms. Yetfor the regime of President
Bashar al-Assad, projecting an over-inflated imageof itself is essential.
That is why Assad has been painting a grandiose pictureof his regimes
central place in the so-called new regional order, built aroundthe
supposed alignment of Turkey, Iran, Syria and perhaps Iraq.At a joint
conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in May 2009, Assadlaid out
what became known in Syria as his "four seas" strategy: "Once theeconomic
space between Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran becomes integrated, wewould
link the Mediterranean, Caspian, Black Sea, and the (Persian) Gulf...
Wearent just important in the Middle East ... Once we link these four
seas, webecome the compulsory intersection for the whole world, in
investment,transport and more."Not satisfied with just four seas, Assad
recently added a fifth , the Red Sea,to his extravagant mix, describing
Syria as the nexus of "a single, largeperimeter (with Turkey, Iran and
Russia) ... Were talking about the center of theworld."This was heady
stuff, rather too heady for a country mired in endemiccorruption, under
American sanctions, parched by years of drought , with noeconomy to speak
of, dwindling resources, and a decrepit, in some casesnon-existent,
infrastructure. We expect Assad to repeat the ubiquitous Syrianconceit
that influence in the Middle East must necessarily pass throughDamascus,
but the "new regional map" the Syrian president speaks of in factonly
affirms Syrias marginality.Perhaps it is lost on Assad, and on his
partisans, but the world for decadeshas managed to secure its energy
resources without passing through Syria. It isTurkey that is the real
candidate for being the transitory energy corridor toEurope. Syria is
completely irrelevant in this picture. Assad is trying toclaim for himself
Turkeys advantage.Turkish assertiveness and the emerging potential for
Turkish-Iraniancompetition sidelines Syrias political aspirations as well.
Damascus hashistorically sought to magnify its weight by attempting to
sell to the West thenotion that it alone controls the decision of going to
war or of making peacewith Israel through its partnership with such
militant groups as Hamas andHezbollah. That, in essence, was the heart of
the Syr ian position during thepeace process of the 1990s.But the
reemergence of Turkey and Iran, historical centers of influence in
theregion, eliminates any credibility from the Syrian claim. Hezbollah has
alwaysbeen an Iranian creation whose loyalty and allegiance is to the
Wilayatal-Faqih, the ruling jurisprudent, in Iran. And, as we have seen in
the lastcouple of years, culminating in the recent flotilla incident off
the Gazacoast, Turkey is now making a bid to become the primary state
interlocutor onbehalf of Hamas. With that, Syrias designs to assume that
role have been allbut shattered.In other words, despi te the
hyperventilation of the Assad regimes courtiers,the Turkish and Iranian
power drive leaves Assad with ever-shrinking room formovement, as he
becomes the junior partner not just of Teheran, but also ofAnkara. This is
quite apt in historical terms, as it was always the naturalstatus of
Syria, when it was subdivided into statelets, to act as a bufferbetween
the traditional imperial centers in Anatolia, Persia and Mesopotamia,and
Egypt.Still, policy mavens in the United States have argued that Damascus
improvingrelations with Turkey might serve to moderate the Assad regime,
or serve as aconstructive alternative to its enduring strategic alliance
with Iran.In reality, far from moderating Syria, the Turkish-Iranian
interplay may infact exacerbate Syrian behavior, because it would shrink
Damascus latitude toact, therefore undermining its claim to political
centrality. Faced with thissituation Assad could strive to hold on to any
semblance of relevance the onlyway he knows ho w: through violence. It is
in that context that we should readSyrias recent attempts to arm Hezbollah
with Syrian-made weapons, as if toshout out that Damascus remains a factor
to be dealt with alongside the bigboys in Teheran and Ankara.However, as
Assads options narrow and his declining importance is highlighted,American
policymakers will continue to be treated to the reality of
Syria'sstructural contradiction: the vast gap between its self-image and
conception ofits role on the one hand, and its actual, secondary strategic
importance on theother.Tony Badran is a research fellow at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies.(Description of Source: Beirut NOW Lebanon in
English -- A privately-funded pro-14 March coalition, anti-Syria news
website; URL: www.nowlebanon.com)

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65) Back to Top
Roundtable Panelists Discuss Situation in Persian Gulf
Figures indicate program running time. For a video of this program,
contact GSG_GVP_VideoOps@rccb.osis.gov or, if you do not have e-mail, the
OSC Customer Center at (800) 205-8615. Selected video is also available on
OpenSource.gov. - Cubavision
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:00:21 GMT
1. 2230 GMT Moderator Randy Alonso Falcon announces that the customary
Telesur International Roundtable is entitled "The Vuvuzelas of War" and
will be followed by a Telesur documentary "The Soft War" on the same
subject matter. But before starting Roundtable he reads Fidel Castro's
"Reflections by Comrade Fidel" commentary series: "An Impossible
Happiness;" published original ly on the site Cubadebate on 4 July.

2. 2240 GMT Alonso introduces the recorded international Roundtable that
is to discuss the situation in the Persian Gulf and begins to show the
video of the program with moderator Arlene Rodriguez Derivet who explains
that vuvuzelas are a noise-making trumpet used by South African soccer
fans at games. She says that the vuvuzelas and the dynamics of soccer have
allowed some people in the world to forget that a dangerous war is being
concocted in an area of the world that may imply the use of nuclear
weapons, affecting the world negatively.

3. 2243 GMT Rodriguez shows a video clip on the topic and then introduces
today's panelists: Dr. Maria Elena Alvarez, professor at the Higher
Institute of Foreign Relations; Idalmis Brooks, journalist and analyst on
Middle East; and Luis Nodal, journalist and specialist on Middle East
affairs.

4. 2245 GMT Rodriguez begins commenting Fidel Castro's Reflections where
he insists that Iran is not just another country. Rodriguez says that it
is a country with a history that makes it a dangerous adversary. Alvarez
looks at the history, characteristics, and the idiosyncrasies of Iran from
the times of Alexander the Great to date. Nodal joins the conversation to
recall the Mohammed Mosaddeq era and how he was ousted.

5. 2259 GMT Nodal continues to recall Iranian history adding the US role
in it throughout the years. Rodriguez asks Brooks to explain the rivalry
between Israel and Iran and when it first appeared.

6. 2304 GMT Rodriguez says the United States never got over the loss of
the Shah, a big US ally, and wants the Iranian Government to pay dearly
for it but she adds that the big pretext now is that Iran could have a
nuclear bomb. Alvarez says that in US jurisprudence you are innocent until
proven guilty but in the case of Iran, it is assumed that Iran is guilty,
which is a US double standard.

Roundtable Moderator Arleen Rodriguez Derivet (Cubavision, 5 Jul 10)

7. 2308 GMT Rodriguez comments on the use of the media to make
provocations and also the role of a biased United Nations. Rodriguez asks
Nodal if the United Nations will participate in the game of a conflict
that could result in a nuclear war. Nodal mentions that the United States,
its allies, and the veto power have turned the UN Security Council into an
entire organization because what the Council decides is what is done,
disregarding the General Assembly, which has no power. Nodal mentions
that, in addition to the UN resolution on Iran, the United States issued
its own sanctions against that country, now wanting the EU nations to back
and approve similar sanctions, trying to weaken the Iranian position.

8. 2313 GMT Rodriguez adds that Israel has never been sanctioned or
reprimanded for its nuclear weapons. Brooks explains that Israel is not a
signatory to any nuclear proliferation agreement and nothing is known
about the I sraeli nuclear program.

9. 2314 GMT Rodriguez mentions that imperialism is losing its imagination
because it is following the exact same steps taken to attack Iraq.

10. 2315 GMT Rodriguez and the panelists engage in a discussion of the
Freedom Flotilla. Nodal says Israel feels it has a license to kill and
this is a source of concern.

11. 2322 GMT Nodal mentions that the scenario is being mounted for an
attack on Iran, based on suppositions and with the support of the media.
Rodriguez adds that all this is coupled with a US military buildup in the
region. Panelists speculate about what will happen next. Rodriguez
concludes that this will lead to a war of incalculable consequences for
humankind in view of the level of irresponsibility with which the destiny
of the world is being handled.

12. 2328 GMT Alvarez states that attention must be drawn to what is
happening in order to contribute to world peace. Rodriguez says that the
only way for this war not to represent the end of mankind is for it not to
happen. Rodriguez mentions the United States is demonizing Iran, a country
it has been unable to control since 1979. She thanks panelists for their
participation.

13. 2332 GMT "The Soft War," the Telesur documentary begins.

Reception: Good

Duration of broadcast: 62 minutes

(Description of Source: Havana Cubavision in Spanish -- Government owned,
government-controlled television station)

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66) Back to Top
Taiwan Shares Close Up 1.49 Percent
By Frances Huang - Central News Agency
Monday July 5, 2010 08:19:13 GMT< /div>
Taipei, July 5 (CNA) -- Taiwan share prices closed up 1.49 percent Monday
as follow-through buying lifted most large cap stocks after investors left
the latest Wall Street's weakness behind, dealers said.

The weighted index rose 109.22 points to 7,439.96 after moving between
7,351.18 and 7,447.18, on turnover of NT$90.49 billion (US$2.81
billion).The weighted index opened up 0.28 percent and the momentum
continued until the end of the session as buying rotated to market
heavyweights, which are scheduled to pay their dividends later this month.
Investors want to cash in on dividends because they are higher than bank
savings interest rates, dealers said.A total of 1,920 stocks closed up and
1,049 down, with 336 remaining unchanged.The textile sector scored the
highest gains at 2.35 percent. The foodstuff sector gained 2.28 percent,
the plastics and chemical sector added 1.84 percent, the cement sector
rose 1.64 percent an d the electronics sector rose 1.63 percent.Financial
stocks closed up 1.56 percent, construction shares 0.83 percent higher and
the paper and pulp sector gained 0.46 percent."The gains just reflected
strong investor interest in getting dividend income," Grand Cathay
Securities analyst Mars Hsu said.Among large cap stocks, smartphone maker
HTC rose 6.92 percent to NT$471.50 after some foreign institutional
investors recommended a buy on the stock, while Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Co. gained 1.82 percent to NT$61.40 and United
Microelectronics Corp. added 1.42 percent to NT$14.30.Formosa Plastics
gained 1.96 percent to NT$67.70 and Nan Ya Plastics rose 1.57 percent to
NT$51.80.Hsu said, however, that the buying had its limits."Concerns over
a possible slowdown in the world economy remain in place after the United
States and China reported falling manufacturing indexes," Hsu said.He said
that while the United States reported a drop in unemployment fo r June,
its job market recovery has been slow, while there have been no immediate
solutions to debt problems in Europe."The further declines on Wall Street
indicated fears that global demand will weaken, " Hsu said. "Volatility of
global stock markets may continue." "I am afraid that the stock dividend
interest is not strong enough to help the market stand well above the
nearest resistance at the 7,500-7,600 point range anytime soon," Hsu
said.Food stocks were boosted by rising beverage sales due to high
temperatures, with Wei-Chuan Foods closing up 4.86 percent at NT$39.95 and
Uni-President Enterprises 2.17 percent higher at NT$37.70.(Description of
Source: Taipei Central News Agency in English -- "Central News Agency
(CNA)," Taiwan's major state-run press agency; generally favors ruling
administration in its coverage of domestic and international affairs; URL:
http://www.cna.com.tw)

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67) Back to Top
Commercial Times: A Platform For Three-party Partnership
By Y.F. Low - Central News Agency
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:24:48 GMT
After concluding the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with
China, Taiwan is focusing its attention on soliciting investment from
around the world.

In doing so, the government should seek to attract capital from China,
Europe, the United States and Japan for multinational joint ventures,
turning Taiwan into a platform for three-party partnerships and
cooperation between Taiwanese, Chinese and foreign businesses.This will
maximize the benefits of the ECFA.At present, U.S., European and Japanese
businesses are considering Taiwan as a "springboard" to the Chinese
market, while Chinese businesses are viewing Taiwan as a "gateway" to the
global market. To enhance their contribution to Taiwan's economy, these
two capital blocs should be drawn together in Taiwan by the government,
and should add a capital injection from Taiwan to form a globally
operating investment group.This special potential is unique to Taiwan and
not found in South Korea, Japan, or Southeast Asian nations.To become a
business base serving as a gateway to both the Chinese and global markets,
Taiwan must all develop a strong capacity to attract and pull together top
talent in innovation and R&amp;D, creative design, finance, law,
accounting, management and marketing research. This will make Taiwan the
most desirable destination for domestic and overseas capital.(Editorial
abstract -- July 6, 2010)(Description of Source: Taipei Centr al News
Agency in English -- "Central News Agency (CNA)," Taiwan's major state-run
press agency; generally favors ruling administration in its coverage of
domestic and international affairs; URL: http://www.cna.com.tw)

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68) Back to Top
Foreign Direct Investment in ROK Declines in H1
Yonhap headline: "Foreign Direct Investment in S. Korea Declines in H1" -
Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 02:16:11 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

69) Back to Top
Experts Raise Concern with Sustainability of 'Sandwich Class' Housing
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. -
Caijing Guojia Zhoukan
Tuesday July 6, 2010 02:25:45 GMT
(Description of Source: Beijing Caijing Guojia Zhoukan in Chinese --
"Economy and Nation Weekly," a magazine -- which despite its name is
published biweekly, not weekly -- published by PRC state news agency
Xinhua and Xinhua-affiliated magazine Liaowang ("Outlook"); Caijing Guojia
Zho ukan was launched on 28 December 2009 and features original reporting
on PRC economic policy and market and industry
trends)Attachments:cjgjzk0426a.pdf

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Commerce.

70) Back to Top
Prosecution Bans Officials Accused of Illegal Surveillance From Leaving
Country - Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:32:53 GMT
ethics officials-exit ban

Prosecution bans officials accused of illegal surveillance from leaving
countryBy Shim Sun-ahSEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- The prosecution on Tuesday
banned officials who are accused of illegally surveilling a civilian from
leaving the country as it launched a full investigation into the case.Lee
In-kyu, a former senior official at the prime minister's office in charge
of monitoring ethics code violations by public officials, and three others
were referred to the prosecution Monday on suspicion of conducting a probe
into the civilian who posted a video critical of President Lee Myung-bak
(Yi Myo'ng-pak) on his Internet blog in 2008.The video, made by a Korean
student in the United States, was popular on YouTube, recording more than
2 million hits at the time.The prime minister's office relieved three of
them, including Lee, from their posts for failing to confirm beforehand
that the blogger, Kim Jong-ik, was a civilian, not a government
official.Prosecutors said they will soon summon Kim and the accused
officials to look into the allegations."We will proceed with the probe as
quickly as possible to get to the bottom of the suspicions," a prosecution
official said.Chung Sye-kyun (Cho'ng Se-kyun), chairman of the main
opposition Democratic Party (DP), on Tuesday renewed his demand for a
parliamentary investigation and appointment of a special counsel to
conduct a probe."No organization of the incumbent regime is qualified to
look into the case. The National Assembly must investigate it," Chung said
in a radio address.He said the police, prosecution and the presidential
office should be subjects of an investigation, demanding they take
responsibility for tacitly approving illegal surveillance. It was not
confirmed to whom Lee's surveillance was reported.The case came to light
last month when two lawmakers of the DP raised the allegations during a
parliamentary committee session.They said the ethics team illegally raided
Kim's office to seize accounting records and computer files of the company
that employs him. The team reported him to police for investigation on
defamation charges even after he was found to be a corporate CEO, not a
civil servant, the lawmakers said.On e of the team members even pressed
Kim's business partner to end business transactions with him, they
said.Kim, who also appeared on a television investigative program, said he
was forced to quit his job and move to Japan after the
investigation.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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71) Back to Top
DPRK Monthly Features Japanese 'Active' Role in Korean War
Article by Kim Yong: "Japan's Crime in Korean War"; for assistance with
multimedia elements, contact the OSC Customer Center at (800) 205-8615 or
oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. - Korea Today
Monday July 5, 2010 16:43:25 GMT
At the meeting the Japanese government decided to transport to south Korea
the military supplies of the US troops to be used for the Korean war,
subordinate Japan's communication facilities to the military action of the
US troops, increase the length of service of the Japanese "specified
workers" engaged in the production or repair of war materials of the US
forces.

On this basis the Japanese militarists entrusted the whole territory of
Japan to the United States so that it might be used as a supply base, a
repair base and a base for the production of various weapons of the US
troops for the war of aggression in Korea and directly dispatched their
armed forces to the Korean front. US warplanes are repaired at the
Kawasaki Airplane Factory, Japan

Early in July 1950 Okasaki, the then Chief Cabinet Secretary of the
Japanese government, said, " ;It is natural for Japan to take part in
battles and other actions under orders of the US forces."

In the white paper entitled "The Korean war and the Japanese stand" the
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out, "As we have been placed
on the field of battle, assuming a noncommittal attitude differs little
from our running away from the front line" and "The fight in Korea is that
for defending the democracy of Japan."

The Japanese government promulgated the "Police Reserve Act" on August 10,
1950. In addition, it drove the servicemen, hailing from the former
"Imperial Army," to the Korean front after recruiting and training them.
Besides, it formed a lot of armed units under various names, such as
"volunteer corps," "backup forces" and the like, and hurled them into the
Korean front.

The Japanese militarists dispatched aviators of the former "Imperial
Army," inc luding the members of the notorious " Kamikaze corps," to the
Korean front, thus making them join in the airborne operations of the US
armed forces throughout the war.

In particular, the Japanese militarists took an active part in the US
forces' operation to land at Inchon. They took upon themselves various
kinds of work arising in this landing operation, ranging from the
drawing-up of the plan for the landing operation to the transport of both
the US landing forces and military supplies, the reconnaissance of landing
spots, the provision of guidance for sea route and the mine-sweeping
operation.

During the war Japan gave active assistance to the US troops in the sphere
of medical service as well.

From September 1950 "a movement for the donation of blood" designed to
offer the blood of

Japanese people to the wounded US soldiers was set on foot in various
parts of Japan. Taking the lead in this movement were Cabinet members of t
he Japanese government, Diet members and even the relatives of the
Japanese king. A US military base in Yokota, Japan

The Japanese militarists forced the people to donate their blood to the
wounded US soldiers. Throughout the war they drew hundreds of thousands of
litres of blood from the people and offered the blood to the US forces.

In addition, they sent Japanese female nurses to GI hospitals in Japan and
south Korea by organizing "relief squads" and produced and supplied
medicaments to these hospitals in large quantities.

During the war Jap an participated in the bloodcurdling germ warfare waged
by the US forces.

The Japanese militarists handed the germ weapons they had researched and
developed secretly in Northeast China during World War II over to the
United States so that they might be used in the Korean war and they
themselves lent a helping hand to the germ warfare of the US forces on the
spot.

The US forces dropped germ weapons produced in Japan on many areas of the
DPRK including Kangwon Province and North and South Hwanghae provinces
(then known as Hwanghae Province), thereby cold-bloodedly murdering a
great number of Korean people. A US military base in Yokosuka, Japan

In compliance with the US demand Japan actively mobilized various means of
transport for service in the Korean war. She put all work in the domain of
transport on a war footing and saw to it that her 12 000 railway waggons
were put to the exclusive use for the transport of war supplies of the US
forces.

On top of that, she mobilized many vessels of her own.

According to the data now available, the amount of war materials that
arrived at Pusan port from Japan in one month of July 1950 ran up to as
many as 309 000 tons.

Japan mass-produced and supplied many kinds of war materials necessary for
the US forces in the Korean war.

In June 1952 the number of Japan's large factories that took part in the
production of military stores needed in the war mounted up to nearly 400.

In 1953 the number of guns of various kinds Japan manufactured and
supplied to the US forces amounted to 8,270, that of shells including
rocket bombs ran up to more than 3,098,550 and that of bullets 10,360,000.

During the whole period of the war Japan produced motor vehicles of
military use, armoured cars, airplanes, firearms, ammunition and other war
materials or supplied after making repairs on them upon "special order" of
the US forces. The total sum expended in the manufacture and repair of
these war materials reached billions of US dollars.

These are nothing but only a very small part of the data attesting to the
fact that Japan took an active part in the Korean war triggered off by the
United States and gave energetic cooperation to it.

(Description of Source: Pyongyang Korea Today (Electronic Edition) in
English -- Monthly political and economic pro paganda magazine in English,
Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Arabic; posted on the website of
Naenara, a DPRK website providing information on North Korean politics,
tourism, foreign trade, arts, and IT issues; URL:
http://www.kcckp.net/en/periodic/todaykorea/index.php)

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Commerce.

72) Back to Top
Turkey's Basbug: PKK Presence in N. Iraq To Hurt Bilateral Ties With Iraq,
US
"WE ARE AT A POINT UNEXPLAINABLE BY WORDS, GENERAL BASBUG" -- AA headline
- Anatolia
Monday July 5, 2010 19:32:55 GMT
(Description of Source: Ankara Anatolia in English -- Semi-offic ial news
agency; independent in content)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

73) Back to Top
Xinhua 'Analysis': What Do Palestinians Expect From Obama-Netanyahu
Meeting?
Xinhua "Analysis": "What Do Palestinians Expect From Obama-Netanyahu
Meeting?" - Xinhua
Monday July 5, 2010 19:28:52 GMT
by Emad Drimly, Saud Abu Ramadan

GAZA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of the scheduled meeting between U.S.
President Barack Obama and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu at the White
House on Tuesday, the Middle East peace process and lifting Gaza Strip
blockade are the two major is sues of deep concerns for the
Palestinians.They are seeking an active U.S. intervention in both tracks,
while officials and observers see that the White House is standing before
a real examination at this moment to achieve a serious progress in the
political process and respond to the Palestinian demands.Before heading to
Washington, Netanyahu stated that pushing forward the proposal of moving
from proximity talks to the face-to- face talks "will be a major issue to
be raised in the talks with President Obama," adding that there are no
alternatives for the direct negotiations.Since May 9, the United States
has been sponsoring the four- month proximity talks between the
Palestinians and Israel; however, the Palestinians say "there has been no
progress yet."U.S. IS DEMANDED TO MAKE DECISIVE DECISIONSAhmed Majdalani,
member of Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) executive committee,
explained that the United States has two major issues that should be i
mmediately decided, "The first is to speed up the positive proximity talks
without waiting to make a progress.""The second issue is related to the
American guarantees that were presented to the Palestinian leadership to
prevent the provocative Israeli actions, mainly constructing settlements,
demolishing houses and extraditing the Palestinians after confiscating
their IDs," Majdalani told Xinhua.He stressed that "these two central
issues need a serious and firm American stance to guarantee the
continuation of the peace process, achieving success and reaching its
goals." However, he warned that if there will be no decisive U.S. stance,
the sphere of the peace process will be "closed down."Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with President Obama at the White House
last month. Obama was scheduled to meet with Netanyahu a week before
Abbas-Obama meeting; however, Netanyahu postponed his visit following the
crisis of the Gaza Shi p Freedom Flotilla bound to Gaza on May 31.Obama
who met with Netanyahu on Tuesday, wanted to prove that there are no
disputes with Israel. He also sought to persuade Israel and the
Palestinians to move to direct talks, which completely stopped in December
2008. Obama sought to make an achievement.EXPECTATIONS FOR A BREAKTHROUGH
ARE SLIMNabil Shaath, member of Abbas' Fatah party's central committee,
stated that the Palestinian expectations to have a breakthrough out of the
meeting between Obama and Netanyahu "are weak and limited, if we compare
it with the current Israeli government political stances.""This Israeli
government is the most radical government in the Israeli history and it
will never ever allow any progress in the peace process, unless the United
States practices an extraordinary pressure to commit it to the obligations
of the peace process," said Shaath.Shaath criticized the current U.S.
stances towards the Israeli government. He said that t he Palestinians
haven't seen so far any real U.S. pressure on the Israeli government,
where he demanded Washington "to understand that without the pressure,
there will be no progress."President Abbas had earlier stated that he
"would be willing to positively respond to the U.S. demand to move to the
direct talks only if a progress is achieved in the proximity talks, mainly
in the issues of borders and security," and the Palestinians would also
coordinate with the Arabs over the talk results.PALESTINIANS DON'T TRUST
U.S. POLICYMeanwhile, Salah al-Bardaweel, a senior Gaza Hamas leader, told
Xinhua that the international community should pay attention "to the
Zionist crime of imposing an unfair siege on the Gaza Strip and completely
lift it," adding that he doesn't expect "any practical results out of the
U.S. policy.""What we expect is that the U.S. will try to find an exit out
of its crisis concerning sponsoring the peace process a nd the situation
in the entire region, and Netanyahu is just giving the U. S. untrue
promises and some tricks of speeches while he keeps humiliating the
Palestinians," said al-Bardaweel.Talal Oukal, a Gaza-based political
analyst, told Xinhua that the Palestinians lost their trust in the United
States, adding " the Palestinians believe that the U.S. has never been
fair with them, mainly in the issue of exerting real and active pressure
on Israel to end the occupation and settlements.""The U.S. administration
has a great harmony with the Israeli manner, which depends on postponing
the commitments to the peace process basics. The U.S. has never asked
Israel to lift the siege, but called on Israel to relax it, and the
Palestinian sufferings will go on," said Oukal.(Description of Source:
Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's official news service for
English-language audiences (New China News Agency))

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74) Back to Top
Salih Al-Mutlaq Calls for Sharing of Power Between SLC, Al-Iraqiyah
Report by Umar Sattar in Baghdad: Al-Mutlaq to Al-Hayah: Sharing the
Presidency and Premiership Is the Solution To End the Current Crisis -
Al-Hayah Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:48:13 GMT
(Description of Source: London Al-Hayah Online in Arabic -- Website of
influential Saudi-owned London pan-Arab daily. URL:
http://www.daralhayat.com)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directe d to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

75) Back to Top
PRC Academics, Experts Urge 'Practical Action' on Global Nuclear Security
By staff reporters Niu Ruifei, Li Feng, and Wei Dongze: "Practical Action
Needed To Achieve Nuclear Security" - Renmin Ribao Online
Monday July 5, 2010 20:33:57 GMT
Since the "Treaty on Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons" (NPT) took
effect 40 years ago, nuclear security issues have become more prominent,
nuclear nonproliferation has become a new focus of concern in the
international community, and people have become increasingly worried about
global nuclear security.

Already this year, a series of high-level meetings on global nuclear
security have taken place. A great deal of attention is being paid to
whether one of these, the E ighth Nonproliferation Treaty Review
Conference (NPT Review Conference) in May, will be fruitful.

A Nuclear Budget for a "Nuclear-Free World"

From a technical point of view, in order to ensure the security and
reliability of nuclear arsenals without testing, a certain amount of
inventory maintenance funding is necessary. However, such a large increase
in US nuclear weapon funding appears unusual.

In early February, US President Obama submitted to the Congress the
government budget for the 2011 fiscal year, in which a significant
increase in nuclear weapon funds has drawn attention. In the budget, Obama
asked Congress to earmark $7 billion to maintain nuclear arsenals and
modernize nuclear facilities. Compared with the 2010 fiscal year, the
allocated funds surged nearly 10 percent. Vice President Biden recently
said that in the next five years, the budget for this purpose will further
increase by $5 billion. During the term of office of the last US
administration, the budget for this purpose was around $6.4 billion.

A series of new trends in the United States reminds people of the speech
made by Obama in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, in April
2009. At that time, he said that the United States would try to build a
"nuclear-free world." For a time, a "nuclear-free world" became a symbol
of Obama's new deal. Many people believed that this proposal brought a new
look at the process of international arms control and disarmament, which
had been stagnant for years. Since then, the United States has taken
active "measures." It first restarted the US-Russian nuclear disarmament
process, adjusted the European anti-missile program, and then proposed to
hold the first nuclear summit of the United Nations Security Council. In
the first half of this year, the United States and Russia may sign a new
treaty on nuclear disarmament, the US report on "Nuclear Posture Review&
quot; is expected to come out, and the nuclear security summit and the NPT
Review Conference will take place.

Now the question is why the US government is holding high the banner of
the "nuclear-free world" and significantly increasing the budget for
nuclear weapons at the same time. Sun Xiangli, a researcher at the
Strategic Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics,
said that Obama put forward the proposal for a "nuclear-free world"
because the United States wishes to rebuild its leading position in
nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. The significant increase in the
budget for nuclear weapons is the outcome of struggle and compromise
between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in the US Congress
on issues such as maintaining the nuclear strategy and promoting nuclear
disarmament.

From a technical point of view, in order to ensure the security and
reliability of nuclear arsenals in the absence of nuclear testing, a
certain amount of inventory maintenance funding is necessary. However,
such a large increase in US nuclear weapon funds appears unusual. Guo
Xiaobing, associate researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary
International Relations, said that in recent years, the US budget for
nuclear weapons has remained at a "high level," showing that the United
States is still sticking to the old nuclear deterrence strategy and
nuclear force structure and has no intention of reducing the role of
nuclear weapons in national security strategy through practical measures.
Such a significant increase in US spending on nuclear weapons is clear
evidence of this point.

Reduction in Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Deterrence

A recent report released by the Strategic Situation Review Commission of
the US Congress said that conditions have not become ripe for the total
elimination of nuclear weapons. In this environment, the United States
should maintain a "thr ee-in-one" nuclear force structure composed of
land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, sea-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles, and long-range bombers and should upgrade its nuclear
weapons.

On 5 March, in a statement commemorating the 40th anniversary of the NPT,
Obama vowed to cut down the number of nuclear weapons and lower the
importance of these weapons in the national security strategy. He said
that in the upcoming "Nuclear Posture Review," the United States will "go
beyond the Cold War mentality," cut down the number of nuclear weapons,
and lower the importance of these weapons in the national security
strategy while maintaining "safe, effective nuclear deterrence." The
"Nuclear Posture Review," which was composed by the Pentagon, should have
been submitted to the US Congress in December 2009, but the submission was
delayed several times for a variety of reasons. The report will be
published before Apr il.

Nuclear disarmament is an important part of global nuclear security
issues. Some experts say that at present, the global nuclear challenges
facing the international community mainly come from two areas: nuclear
arsenals in the United States and Russia and the threat of nuclear
proliferation. If problems occur in the maintenance of US and Russian
arsenals, unpredictable, serious consequences will appear. What is more,
if problems such as misjudgment, runaway command, operation in violation
of regulations, breakdowns, and equipment failure occur with nuclear
weapons on the combat readiness system list, the consequences will be even
more serious.

Now the outcome of the ongoing US-Russian talks on the substitute treaty
for the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms
is drawing great attention. Obama said that once the treaty is reached,
the nuclear arsenals of the two countries will be greatly reduced. Both US
and Russian officials wh o are taking part in the talks say the United
States and Russia are very close to reaching a treaty.

A recent report released by the Strategic Situation Review Commission of
the US Congress says that conditions have not become ripe for the total
elimination of nuclear weapons. In such an environment, the United States
should maintain a "three-in-one" nuclear force structure, composed of
land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, sea-based intercontinental
ballistic missiles, and long-range bombers and should upgrade nuclear
weapons. US Defense Secretary Gates has even admitted that the lofty
aspiration of a "nuclear-free world" may not come true and the United
States needs to maintain its capability for nuclear deterrence. The reason
is that the United States needs nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence
and prevention against "rising and rejuvenating powers, rogue states which
seek to obtain nuclear weapons," and international terr orism. Under its
nuclear protection umbrella, the allies of the United States have no need
to develop nuclear capability. This fact contributes to preventing
proliferation of nuclear weapons. The United States must prepare for
emergencies.

Experts believe that, under the guidance of this strategic thinking, the
budget increase for nuclear weapons requested by the Obama administration
is not a one-time input but a long-term investment. The "Alliance for
Nuclear Accountability," a US-based nongovernmental organization for arms
control, says that the 2011 budget bill "pays the deposit for the budget
increase in the amount of $5 billion over the next five years"; from 2012
to 2015, the annual budget for nuclear weapons in the United States will
basically maintain the level of 2011 and may increase. With regard to this
budget increase trend, people cannot see the slightest intention to
struggle for total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Prevention of Nuclear Proliferation and the Nuclear Arms Race

To win the support of a broad group of non-nuclear weapon states, in
addition to efforts to cut down the number of deployed warheads, the
nuclear superpowers should exercise self-restraint in "vertical
proliferation," which is associated with the modernization of nuclear
weapons.

Preventing nuclear proliferation is important for maintaining global
nuclear security. The spread of excessive nuclear weapons in different
countries may substantially increase the chance that nuclear weapons will
run out of control, lead to misjudgment, and induce accidents. In
addition, a global nuclear war may occur due to local nuclear conflicts.
For a time, disturbances have frequently occurred regarding the Iran
nuclear issue and the Korean peninsula nuclear issue, seriously affecting
the situation of regional and global security. The NPT has been accepted
by a majority of countries. As a result, together with many re gional
multilateral agreements on a "non-nuclear zone," nuclear proliferation has
been greatly restricted.

It was noted that at a working conference on the national armament program
(2011-2020) on 16 February, Russian Prime Minister Putin said that the
preferred development orientation for Russia's military reform is nuclear
deterrence, space defense, and air defense. Guo Xiaobing said that, for
the world as a whole, we should prevent not only "vertical proliferation,"
namely further enhancement of the performance of nuclear weapons, but also
"horizontal proliferation," namely worldwide proliferation of the
ownership of nuclear weapons. Among nuclear weapon states, the United
States has the most advanced technology. With its huge investment in
modernizing nuclear weapons, the country will probably stimulate other
nuclear weapon states to increase investment and thus prompt a nuclear
arms race. In addition, the ability of the United States to produce
modernized nuclear weapons will generate greater concerns in other
countries. Through comprehensive reconstruction of nuclear weapons, the
United States will have a strong capability for flexible response. Even if
the number of warheads is reduced to a low level, the country can rapidly
resume production when necessary and gain a new advantage in quantity.
Moreover, there is a significant gap between other nuclear weapon states
and the United States in terms of conventional weapons and missile
defense. When taking part in the process of nuclear disarmament, they must
consider more how to maintain their nuclear deterrence and ability to
survive.

The Eighth NPT Review Conference is about to take place. The international
community universally hopes that this conference can avoid repeating the
mistakes of the conference in 2005 and make achievements in improving the
nonproliferation mechanism. To win the support of a broad group of
non-nuclear weapon states, i n addition to efforts to reduce the number of
deployed warheads, the nuclear superpowers should exercise self-restraint
in "vertical proliferation," which is associated with the modernization of
nuclear weapons.

Anyone familiar with the US nuclear strategy knows this fact: Many
Americans believe, deep in their hearts, that the United States must have
absolute security, regardless of whether other countries have a sense of
security. Sun Xiangli said that for just that reason, the United States
these days is continuing to seek absolute nuclear advantages and long-term
capabilities for developing high-level nuclear weapons and is vigorously
developing a comprehensive missile defense system, which is detrimental to
the global strategic balance. However, maintaining absolute nuclear
advantages cannot help curb nuclear proliferation and terrorism but may
worsen the situation.

Crackdown on Nuclear Terrorism -- A Nuclear Consensus

If other countries la ck confidence in the process of nuclear disarmament
and if the international nonproliferation mechanism, which faces many
challenges, cannot be improved and strengthened, even with world-class
nuclear anti-terrorism capacity and security technology, the United States
may find it difficult to get rid of the nightmare of nuclear terrorism.

One characteristic of post-Cold War international politics is that nuclear
issues have become increasingly prominent. Originally, the global
nonproliferation mechanism, with the NPT at its core, wielded considerable
constraints to prevent nuclear proliferation. Unfortunately, however, in
the past decade, this mechanism has been corroded. In the wake of nuclear
proliferation and global nuclear revitalization, nuclear materials that
could be used for nuclear devices or radioactive "dirty bombs" are all
over the world. Consequently, the risk looms large that terrorists may
obtain these materials for nuclear terrorism attacks.
When non-state actors attempt to control and use nuclear weapons for
terrorist activities or other crimes which endanger human society, and
especially when terrorism spreads, nuclear terrorism will become the most
serious challenge for global nuclear security. At present, the risk is
looming large that terrorist organizations will obtain nuclear materials
and stage nuclear terrorist attacks. This has been regarded by the United
States as the most urgent security threat. Therefore, the Obama
administration increased anti-terrorism funds in the budget to raise the
level of alertness, enhance response capabilities, develop evidence
collection for nuclear-related criminal investigations, and conduct
international anti-terrorism cooperation. In addition, the United States
has increased the budget for nuclear materials security worldwide so that
it can meet the target of ensuring security of high-risk nuclear materials
worldwide in four years.

In the face of nuclear m aterials scattered around the world and the
increasingly severe anti-terrorism situation, more and more American
people have realized that to make the United States immune from a nuclear
attack like the 11 September terrorist attack and to reverse the situation
of nuclear proliferation, the only effective way is global multilateral
cooperation. In this regard, US efforts alone will not suffice. Guo
Xiaobing pointed out that the crackdown on nuclear terrorism requires the
cooperation of all countries concerned. If other countries lack confidence
in the process of nuclear disarmament, and if the international
nonproliferation mechanism, which faces many challenges, cannot be
improved and strengthened, even with world-class nuclear anti-terrorism
capacity and security technology, the United States may find it difficult
to get rid of the nightmare of nuclear terrorism.

Maintaining global nuclear security has long been the consensus of the
international community. However, due to domestic political pressure in
the countries concerned, as well as defects in the international nuclear
nonproliferation mechanism and the prevalence of nuclear strategic
thinking, rooting out nuclear threats is a heavy burd en and a long road.

Sun Xiangli asserted that the fundamental way to prevent nuclear
proliferation is to continuously strengthen the international
nonproliferation mechanism, refrain from double standards, and respect the
right to use nuclear energy peacefully. At the same time, an increasing
number of countries have come to know the danger of nuclear terrorism and
realize that international cooperation is the most effective way to guard
against and crack down on nuclear terrorism. In 2005, the 59th United
Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the "International Convention
on the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism," asking all countries
concerned to extradite or prosecute suspects of nuclear terrorism. The
global pro posal on cracking down on nuclear terrorism made by the United
States and Russia in 2006 has won the support of many countries. However,
the burden is heavy and the road long to maintain global nuclear security,
requiring all sides concerned to rally consensus and take concrete action.

(Description of Source: Beijing Renmin Ribao Online in Chinese -- Online
version of the daily newspaper (People's Daily) of the CPC Central
Committee. URL: http://paper.people.com.cn)Attachments:rmrb0315nuclear.pdf

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76) Back to Top
Czech Commentary Highlights US Confusion Over Russian Foreign Policy Goals
Commentary by Daniel Anyz: "Washington's Russian Soul Dispute" -
Hospodarske Noviny Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:48:25 GMT
But, of course, this is not to say that it is all fun and games when it
comes to Moscow's intelligence efforts; that much is clear from a recent
analysis by the German Interior Ministry, as well as the report of the
Czech BIS (Security Information Service), both of which talk about active
economic espionage being carried out by the Russians. The uproar on the
Russian side that followed the publication of the German document, which
asserts that this form of espionage poses greater danger to the West than
Islamic terrorism, is evidence enough that the analyses hit the bull's
eye. Dispute Over Russian "Reset"

However, the intelligence scandal, which happened on the heels of the
Obama-Medvedev Washington rendezvous, is an interesting epilogue to the
meeting, which was drowned out by Obama's tro ubles with the impertinent
General Stanley McChrystal. Now that the general is on his way to
retirement, and following the mini-summit, the American analysts have time
to ponder the results of the American political "reset" in relations with
Russia up to now.

And we can say straight off that the results amount to a convoluted
situation that mirrors the Czech discussion on Moscow, in that it revolves
around two poles and a middle-of-the-road opinion is hard to find. There
are two completely different ways in which the specific steps taken along
the Washington-Moscow axis are interpreted; and the same applies to the
general strategic intentions of each of the two parties. The discourse we
witnessed in the cases of the missile defense and the reduction of nuclear
potential is reappearing now in the discussions on Iranian sanctions,
Moscow's permission for granting passage to the American military cargo to
Afghanistan, and President Medvedev's proposals of ec onomic cooperation.
One side sees these issues as demonstrable benefits of the "reset," while
the other considers them mere bluffing. Because while it is true that
Russia approved Iranian sanctions, it did so only after Moscow succeeded
in blunting their edges significantly and obtaining exceptions for itself.
The critics also claim that Afghanistan costs Russia nothing, and that the
acceptance of economic cooperation is nothing but necessity, brought about
by low energy prices, dressed up as virtue. Once the prices go up again,
Russia will recover -- and harden its stands. Torn Soul Syndrome

At this point, the discussion turns to the basic argument, which is the
question of what it is that Moscow actually wants. Russian foreign policy
strategy, which was published recently in the Russian edition of the
Newsweek magazine, caused real analytical chaos in Washington. The
advocates of the reset appreciate the pragmatic language of the document,
which emph asizes "cooperation with those European Union countries that
approach the Russian Federation positively, with Germany, France, Italy,
and Spain." The skeptics, on the other hand, point out that the Baltic
states in particular must be feeling quite nervous since Moscow wants to
make its economic presence there more pronounced at the expense of a
"sharp decrease in EU investments," and it also talks about active support
of "Russian language and culture."When all is said and done, the American
discussion breaks down into slogans that are similar to those we hear in
the Czech Republic. One side says that "Russia is not the USSR anymore,"
and the other side responds by saying that "it is still Russia, though."
We can observe uncertainty within the administration as well: the language
used by the White House is more hopeful than that used by the State
Department and Department of Defense. The only thing they all agree on is
tha t Obama and Medvedev have established a friendly relationship. The
optimists claim that it is a sign of a new quality. The skeptics ask why
Obama chose specifically and only Medvedev from among all the world
leaders. And from outside it seems that Washington has been infected with
the Russian torn soul syndrome. Unless, that is, what is really going on
is that, in the same way that Moscow knows well "its" Czech Republic, it
is also skillfully playing Washington. Not within the framework of the
reset, but by plucking all the right strings.

(Description of Source: Prague Hospodarske Noviny Online in Czech --
Website of influential independent political, economic, and business daily
widely read by decision makers, opinion leaders, and college-educated
population; URL: http://hn.ihned.cz)

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77) Back to Top
Czech Analyst Says Obama's Attempt To Reset Russia Ties 'Naive,'
'Dangerous'
Commentary by Teodor Marjanovic: "Russian Spy Team in Action" - iDnes.cz
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:52 GMT
However, as long as 10 years ago an event took place that could have
reversed our ideas about classic espionage and its utility in modern
times. That is when Vladimir Putin, a former agent previously deployed in
Eastern Germany against students, and later the boss of the Russian
intelligence services, became the ruler of the Kremlin. Putin, Espionage
Expert

Putin is a man who proclaimed without hesitation that the fall of the USSR
was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe in modern history and has been
making a s ystematic and unscrupulous effort to return Moscow to its
former glory and prestige. Among other things also by putting his money on
the activity in which he himself is a champion: espionage. Had it not been
for Putin, the shocking news about the detained agents operating
undercover on United States territory could not have made headlines around
the world last night. Had it not been for Putin, there might still be
people believing that Barack Obama's idealistic notions about "resetting"
relations with Moscow could actually succeed; that Moscow would simply let
itself being talked into cooperating and start looking at the world
through Obama-like eyes. Language Spoken by Kremlin

But Putin is still here, albeit in the prime minister's role, and he makes
no bones about having his eyes set on future presidential mandates. There
are a number of factors that can illustrate well his true political
nature. From the trumped-up trial of Mikhail Khodorkovskiy to t he
grandiose military parades on the Red Square he dusted off. However,
yesterday's arrests in the United States and Cyprus are the report card
capturing Putin's efforts perfectly. They are also a reminder of how naive
and dangerous Obama's reset efforts are. The only language Russia
understands is the language of intimidation and blackmail. It would be
good if the next Bond returned to his proper trade and reminded us of that
fact.

(Description of Source: Prague iDnes.cz in Czech -- Website of Mlada
Fronta Dnes, best-selling, independent, center-right daily; most popular
print source among decisionmakers; URL: http://idnes.cz)

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78) Back to Top
Russian TV presenter criticizes top US administration officials - Rossiya
1
Monday July 5, 2010 23:13:31 GMT
Text of report by Russian official state television channel Rossiya 1 on 5
July(Presenter Konstantin Semin, following on from a report on Russian
Premier Vladimir Putin advising Georgia to settle relations with South
Ossetia on its own) As regards Hillary Clinton herself, she spent the
whole day today in Tbilisi with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. At
a news conference, the secretary of state said that the USA would continue
urging Russia to withdraw its troops from South Ossetia and Abkhazia.I
think we can walk and chew gum at the same time - Clinton used this
distinctly American expression to demonstrate that a reset in relations
with Moscow will not distract the USA from the main goal - spreading
democracy to the east.It is not entirely clear, however, with whom in
particular the Department of State is going to keep in step, and with whom
it is going to share its gum, Moscow or Tbilisi. In general, the behaviour
of Clinton and her ally in the (state) apparatus, Defence Secretary Robert
Gates, over the last few months has been increasingly reminiscent of the
already forgotten style of George Bush (Junior).(Description of Source:
Moscow Rossiya 1 in Russian -- Large state-owned network broadcasting to
almost all of Russia (formerly Rossiya TV))

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79) Back to Top
Russia's Putin calls on Georgia to resolve situation with breakaway region
alone - Interfax
Monday July 5, 201 0 19:10:42 GMT
breakaway region alone

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency InterfaxMoscow, 5
July: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called on the Georgian
authorities not to look for a solution to the problems which have arisen
for Tbilisi with Abkhazia and South Ossetia by resorting to help from
outside forces."They should not look for a solution elsewhere," Putin said
in Moscow on Monday (5 July) when acting on a request by Georgian
journalists to comment on US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's
statement that Washington would seek the end of the occupation of the
Georgian territories."They need to hold a dialogue, without appealing to
third parties," Putin stressed.Putin made this statement when visiting the
Great Fatherland War (USSR's war against Nazi Germany in 1941-45) museum
on Poklonnaya Gora (Hill), where he was shown designs of the monument
which should be built in the Russian capital as a symbol of the Glory
memorial which was demolished by the Georgian authorities in Kutaisi.Putin
stressed that he would "not shy away from answering this question". "Some
people think that it (the territory) has been occupied, but some people
think that it was freed. This is a subject for dialogue between the
Georgian and South Ossetian peoples. It is necessary to hold this
dialogue, without appealing to third parties. We did not start this war
(with Georgia in August 2008), the ones who started this war have to
answer for it," Putin said.He called on the Georgian authorities to
"summon up the courage and find a path into the hearts of the people whom
they injured". "They need to come to an agreement," Putin said.He stressed
that "Russia, just like other participants in the international community,
can only act as guarantors here".Putin drew attention to the fact that
"there are many forces in Georgia which want to normalize relations with
both Russia and the South Ossetian people". "The issues should not be
resolved elsewhere. America is America, Georgia is Georgia, Russia is
Russia, and Ossetia is Ossetia. They should not appeal to anyone, and
there is no other way," Putin said.He concluded by citing the
Internationale (anthem of international socialism which was effectively
the Soviet national anthem between 1922 and 1944): "Noone will grant us
deliverance - not God, nor Tsar, nor hero".(Description of Source: Moscow
Interfax in Russian -- Nonofficial information agency known for its
extensive and detailed reporting on domestic and international issues)

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80) Back to Top
Putin Urges Georgia, S Ossetia To Reach Agreement (Adds) - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 19:25:50 GMT
intervention)

MOSCOW, July 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urged
Georgia and South Ossetia to reach an agreement."It is necessary to move
along this path .125towards an agreement.375, not to look for a solution
elsewhere," Putin said when visiting the Museum of the Great Patriotic war
in Moscow on Monday.Commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton's remarks made during her meeting with women politicians and
public figures in Tbilisi earlier in the day, when she said the United
States would insist on de-occupation of Georgia and the people of Georgia
should consistently press for territorial integrity and freedom, Putin
said, "Some think that it .125South Ossetia.375 is occu pied, others think
that it has been liberated.""This is a subject of dialogue between the two
peoples - Georgia and South Ossetian. And they should conduct this
dialogue without referring to third parties," he said."We did not start
that war. Responsibility is borne by those who started it. They should
pluck up their courage and find a way to the hearts of the people whom
they wounded. An agreement should be negotiated," Putin said."Russia, just
like other members of the international community, can only be a
guarantor," he added.After Georgia's attack on South Ossetia in August
2008, Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and
signed a number of agreements with them, including those on military
cooperation. Georgia considers Russia's actions occupation.(Description of
Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main government information agency)

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81) Back to Top
USA's Clinton meets pro-Western opposition leaders in Georgia - Rustavi-2
Television
Monday July 5, 2010 18:21:15 GMT
Text of report by private Georgian TV station Rustavi-2(Presenter) At the
end of her visit today, Hillary Clinton met representatives of the
Georgian opposition. The secretary of state met leading members of the
Christian Democratic Movement and the Our Georgia - Free Democrats party.
They spoke about both foreign policy and the domestic situation in
Georgia. Several concrete issues were discussed.(Giorgi Targamadze,
Christian Democratic Movement leader and MP, interviewed) We believe that
the more-or- less constructive tone that currently prevails in relations
between Russia and the United States is more likely to be positive for us,
because when we have additional security guarantees, we can focus all of
our energy, all of our power on democratic and economic development,
improving the social conditions of the population and carrying out various
reforms in order to ensure that living in Georgia is attractive to
everyone, including for those who are not thinking about living in a
united Georgian state (REFERENCE to breakaway Abkhazia and South
Ossetia).(Irakli Alasania, Our Georgia - Free Democrats leader,
interviewed) We focused on support for democratic institutions. The United
States of America will provide new financial support for (improving) the
electoral environment in a concrete area - solving once and for all the
problem of the electoral rolls.Also at the meeting, we spoke about how
they will help Georgian opposition parties develop their party
infrastructure. An d also it is very important that the American side
understands very well and very precisely what problems we faced in terms
of democracy during the last elections (30 May local polls).(Levan
Vepkhvadze, Christian Democratic MP, deputy parliament speaker,
interviewed) We spoke mainly about the development of the political
process, how they view things, what needs to be done to ensure that there
is more democracy in the country. This implies first and foremost
supporting and developing the responsible political forces. In this regard
it is very important that, for us and for the American side, a future
without democracy is totally unimaginable because both we and the American
side see that democracy should be a guarantee for stability.(Aleksi
Petriashvili, Our Georgia -Free Democrats member) Emphasis was placed
mainly on domestic political issues, on how the current political
situation in the country should be improved, how the electoral environment
should be improved and on h ow the irregularities that took place during
the local elections can be eliminated. In this regard the US State
Department and the administration in general will render very significant
support.(Description of Source: Tbilisi Rustavi-2 Television in Georgian
-- Leading commercial television station which is relatively deferential
to the current central government. The station's website
(www.rustavi2.com) claims that broadcasts reach "around 84% of the
population.")

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82) Back to Top
USA's Clinton stresses support at meeting with Georgian women - Rustavi-2
Television
Monday July 5, 2010 16:48:15 GMT
USA's Clinton stresses support at meeting with Georgian womenUS Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton has reiterated her country's support to Georgia's
territorial integrity and democratic development, saying that the
country's potential to be a "beacon and model for democracy and progress
is extraordinary".Clinton was speaking at a town hall meeting with
Georgian women leaders, including representatives of various
nongovernmental organizations and politicians, in Tbilisi, where she
arrived on 5 July at the end of her East European tour. Clinton's speech
was broadcast live by private Rustavi-2 TV at 0954 gmt. Her speech was
audible under Rustavi-2 simultaneous translation. She said:"I believe that
the potential of this country to serve as a beacon and model for democracy
and progress is extraordinary. And for me it is in large measure rooted in
the day-to-day changes that have occurred here in Georgia. Before the ro
se revolution (in 2003), Georgia was on the brink of being a failed state.
Since then Georgians, and particularly, Georgian women, answered the call
of history. (Word indistinct) is your moment and you work to strengthen
democratic institutions and civil society, combat corruption and establish
the rule of law, laid the foundations for a better future. But we both
know that Georgia faces some dramatic challenges. You live with the
realities of an invasion and an ongoing occupation. You are trying to
promote a recovery of Georgia's economy. You are working to improve vital
services like healthcare and education, working to raise your families and
look after your relatives. In the millions of decisions that are made
every day, the future of your country is being determined."She went on:
"What I see here in Georgia is very heartening and the prospects of change
are very real. Now I know that happens with the concerted effort involves
those who are citizens and whose w ho are leaders, men and women, and I
know too that Georgia's talent, creativity and energy bodes well if the
course that you run can be persistent until your destination is arrived
at," she noted.Clinton recalled Queen Tamar, who ruled Georgia in the 12th
century, a period that is called the golden age in Georgia's history,
noting that there is no reason why Georgia cannot achieve another golden
age in the 21st century."There is no reason why 21st century cannot be
another golden age for Georgia. And as we push for positive change, for
closer relationship with Europe, membership in NATO, a new landmark
criminal procedure code, transforming the Georgian police force (word
indistinct) organizations like Georgia's Young Lawyers, International
Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, (word indistinct) the rule of
law and responsiveness in governance, I see women mentioned and taking
lead roles time and time again."(Description of Source: Tbilisi Rustavi-2
Televis ion in English -- Leading commercial television station which is
relatively deferential to the current central government. The station's
website (www.rustavi2.com) claims that broadcasts reach "around 84% of the
population.")

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83) Back to Top
FYI -- Clinton Reiterates US' Support After Meeting Georgian Leader -
Georgian TV1
Monday July 5, 2010 16:47:35 GMT
briefing between Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, who has reiterated the US's "steadfast" support for
Georgia's sovereignty and territorial int egrity and opposition to
Russia's "occupation" of its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.

The briefing was held at the presidential residence in Tbilisi, shortly
after the US delegation's meeting with Georgian government officials and
her face-to-face meeting with Saakashvili.The briefing, conducted in
English, was carried live by Georgian Public TV and Georgia's other
nationwide channels with simultaneous Georgian translation provided."I
came to Georgia with a clear message from President Obama and myself: the
United States is steadfast in its commitment to Georgia's sovereignty and
territorial integrity," Clinton said. "The United States does not
recognize spheres of influence. President Obama and I have also
communicated this message directly to our Russian counterparts, most
recently during our meetings in Washington on 24 June. We continue to call
for Russia to abide by the August 2008 cease-fire commitment signed by
Presiden t Saakashvili and President (Dmitriy) Medvedev, including ending
the occupation and withdrawing Russian troops from South Ossetia and
Abkhazia to their pre-conflict positions."She said that the United States
and Georgia have a "deep friendship" and that the US was "committed to the
success of Georgia's democracy and economy."She praised Georgia's troop
contribution in NATO's Afghanistan and global anti-terrorism efforts in
general and noted Georgia's "diligent movement" toward meeting the
requirements for NATO membership but noted that there are still
"shortcomings" in this regard.She called on the separatist leaderships of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia to re-engage Georgia in the Geneva talks on
security in the South Caucasus and the suspended "Incident Prevention and
Response Mechanism" for the two regions' borderlines with Georgian
controlled territory.She said the "non-use of force agreements" which
Russia and its separatist allies demand that Georgia sign with Abkhazia
and South Ossetia were "unnecessary", as the Georgian-Russian cease-fire
agreement by definition contained sufficient guarantees in that regard.She
said Georgia should focus on state-building in order to demonstrate that
Russia's "occupation" cannot hinder its development and in order to entice
Abkhazia and South Ossetia to rejoin its fold.For his part, Saakashvili
praised the "special US-Georgia relationship," which he said was "growing
in substance and form." He said Georgia shares America's core values
welcomed US help in his government's "democratic experiment."Saakashvili
was asked by a US journalist to comment on fears in Georgia that the US
Administration's "reset" policy with Russia might come at the expense of
countries like Georgia.He said that Georgia had "nothing to complain about
in terms of policy on the US side" and that the reset was being pursued in
"exactly the right way," namely "based on values."He also expressed hope
that US engagement with Russia would lead to a "more liberal, more open,
more modernized Russia," which would suit Georgia's interests.No further
processing planned.(Description of Source: Tbilisi Georgian TV1 in
Georgian -- Channel One of the government-controlled Georgian TV and Radio
Broadcasting Corporation, covering most of Georgia.)

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84) Back to Top
Georgia, US To Develop Strategic Partnership -- Saakashvili - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:04 GMT
intervention)

TBILISI, July 5 (Itar-Tass) -- Georgia and the United States will develop
and expand strategic partnership, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
said."Georgia and the United States have built a special relationship of
strategic partnership. This relationship will continue to expand and
deepen," Saakashvili said at a joint briefing with U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton on Monday.He said the U.S. would continue supporting
Georgia on all of its fundamental and important issues.The Strategic
Partnership Charter between Georgia and the U.S. was signed don January 9,
2009. The document calls for the development of cooperation between the
two countries in the fields of security, defence, economy, trade, science,
and culture.(Description of Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main
government information agency)

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85) Back to Top
US To Help Georgia Develop Democracy - Clinton - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 16:42:33 GMT
intervention)

TBILISI, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - The United States will help Georgia develop
democracy, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.Hillary Clinton
arrived in Tbilisi on a visit on Monday. During her trip, the U.S.
Secretary of State met women politicians and other Georgian public
figures.Georgia's future is the democratic development, Clinton
said.Georgia achieved considerable progress in the economic field, in
fighting corruption and developing democracy, she said.Georgia embarked on
the path to democracy and integration into European and Euro -Atlantic
structures, Clinton said in her meeting with Georgian women politicians.At
the same time, she stressed that Georgia should continue carrying out
reforms.The meeting involved over 100 women politicians, public figures,
parliament deputies, leaders of certain political parties and
non-government organisations.(Description of Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS in
English -- Main government information agency)

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86) Back to Top
Georgian politicians, experts upbeat about US state secretary's visit -
Rustavi-2 Television
Monday July 5, 2010 08:55:43 GMT
visit

Ge orgian politicians and experts have hailed US Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton's visit to Georgia on 5 July in their interviews with the
privately-owned Rustavi-2 TV channel."Clinton made several very important
statements in Poland, where she said unequivocally that the issue of
Georgia's sovereignty is a pivotal and priority issue and the fact that
Russian occupation took place - this is the term she used - is
unacceptable in the 21st century. This is a very important message for us,
as well as for the Russian Federation. Despite the so-called policy of
reset, the USA is not going to put up with this," ruling party MP Akaki
Minashvili told Rustavi-2 TV.Aleksandre Rondeli, the president of the
Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, said: "She
will discuss the situation in the region, problems of democracy in Georgia
and further democratization, as well as probably Russian-Georgian
relations and the USA's position on this."Political analyst Vasil
Kacharava described the visit as "very important" for both Georgia and the
USA, noting that the results of this visit would "give a new impetus to
the (US) policy in the region", Rustavi-2 TV reported.(Description of
Source: Tbilisi Rustavi-2 Television in Georgian -- Leading commercial
television station which is relatively deferential to the current central
government. The station's website (www.rustavi2.com) claims that
broadcasts reach "around 84% of the population.")

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87) Back to Top
FYI -- US Secretary of State Arrives in Georgia - Rustavi-2 Television
Monday July 5, 2010 08:49:37 GMT
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Georgia as part of her
regional tour to the Eastern European countries.

Rustavi-2 Television, which has started broadcasting news every hour,
carried live footage from Tbilisi International Airport, showing Clinton's
arrival. Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, Deputy Foreign
Minister Giga Bokeria, Georgian Ambassador to the US Batu Kutelia, and US
Ambassador to Georgia John Bass were shown welcoming Clinton at the
airport.The channel showed Clinton's motorcade leaving the airport, and
noted that she headed to the National Library to meet Georgian women
public activists.Clinton is due to meet Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili, other Georgian officials, and some opposition leaders. After
meeting with Saakashvili, a joint news briefing is expected.This is
Clinton's first visit to Georgia since her becoming the US Secretary of
State. Sh e is wrapping up her regional tour of the Eastern European
countries in Georgia.Further as available.(Description of Source: Tbilisi
Rustavi-2 Television in Georgian -- Leading commercial television station
which is relatively deferential to the current central government. The
station's website (www.rustavi2.com) claims that broadcasts reach "around
84% of the population.")

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88) Back to Top
Did the Russian Spies Just Love Tapping in To Us?
"Did the Russian Spies Just Love Tapping in To Us?" -- The Daily Star
Headline - The Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:11:51 GMT
Saturday, July 03, 2010

The alleged Russian spy ring is a pleasant summer distraction (Anna
Chapman- call your agent!) and a wonderful opportunity to use the phrase
femmefatale. But if you want to ponder a 21st-century intelligence puzzle
this July4 weekend, turn your attention to cyber-espionage - where our
adversariescan steal in a few seconds what it took an old-fashioned spy
network years tocollect.First, though, let-s think about what the Russians
'illegals'were up to in their suburban spy nests. US intelligence
officials thinkit-s partly that the Russians just love running illegal
networks. Thishas been part of their tradecraft since the 1920s, and it
enabled many of theirmost brilliant operations, from Rudolph Abel to
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. TheFBI finds it hard to break its cultural
habits, and so does Russia-sintelligence service, the SVR.This illegal
network must have been a special kick for Russian Prime MinisterVladim ir
Putin. In his days as a KGB officer, he is said to have specialized
inrunning support networks for illegal agents in Europe, and the operation
musthave made for a superb briefing in the Kremlin: 'Comrade leader, we
havea (whisper) network in America awaiting your instructions.'My guess is
that the Russians wanted this network for contingencies. Supposetheir
'legal' spies were expelled from the United States, orsubject to airtight
surveillance? The illegals could operate as a kind of'stay-behind' network
to handle dead drops, cash transfers andagent meetings.Some of this
network-s activities may not have been quite so harmless asinitial news
reports suggested. US intelligence officials believe that duringthe 1990s,
one member of the spy ring may have serviced dead drops for RobertHanssen,
the notorious FBI agent who was arrested in 2001 for spying for
theRussians.The greatest potential value of this atavistic network may
have been to supportthe true infrastructure of Russi an intelligence going
forward - and thatis cyber-espionage. I-ve just come from a discussion of
this problem atthe Aspen Security Forum, and it was eye-opening, to put it
mildly.Old-fashioned spy networks burrow their way into the corridors of
power so theycan steal secrets that reveal their adversaries- intentions
andcapabilities. The new cyber-spies can often lift that information with
akeystroke.If you want a primer on this new frontier of espionage, I
recommend a bookcalled 'Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security
and What to DoAbout It.' It-s written by Richard A. Clarke, the terrorism
adviserwho tried to warn the Bush administration about Al-Qaeda before
September 11,2001. His track record as a Cassandra is pretty good.The
cyber-spies are already at work, by the thousands, Clarke warns. For
atleast a decade, savvy intelligence organizations (and that
includesAmerica-s) have been stealthily 'preparing the battlefield,'as the
military likes to say.The digital ope ratives plant 'bots' that follow
instructions likedigital zombies, as well as mischievous bits of code,
'trapdoors'and other errant software that infect systems that have been
assembled indozens of countries. That-s the dark side of the
computerindustry-s prized global supply chains: They offer hundreds
ofopportunities to insert mischievous digital codes and sabotage
mechanisms.The modern digital spies are as seductive as Anna Chapman, but
less visible.Clarke writes about a practice known as 'spear-phishing,' in
whichinviting messages are used to dupe executives into downloading
malicioussoftware that opens their networks to attack.Now I understand why
my laptop acts weirdly whenever I visit Beirut: Clarkewarns when you
travel aboard and leave your laptop or BlackBerry in your hotelroom, it-s
likely that gremlins are drilling into your hard drive andtapping your
email, your virtual private network, your lists of contacts-
everything.Electronic spies have already stolen tens of billions of pages
of documents andpenetrated strategic nodes of the global economy, from
banks to power grids.They can turn off radars (as the Israelis did when
they bombed Syria-snuclear reactor in September 2007) or shut down
internet access (as Russia didwhen it invaded Georgia in August 2008). The
future is now.Maybe that-s why we need the human spies, after all.
Cyber-espionage cangather so much information that the spymasters need
their Anna Chapmans asspotters to tell the real agents - the bots and
zombies and trapdoors- what to steal.Syndicated columnist David Ignatius
is published twice weekly by THE DAILY STAR.(Description of Source: Beirut
The Daily Star Online in English -- Website of the independent daily, The
Daily Star; URL: http://dailystar.com.lb)

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89) Back to Top
US State Secretary To Discuss Bilateral Coop With Georgia Leaders -
ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 05:07:23 GMT
intervention)

TBILISI, July 5 (Itar-Tass) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will
pay a visit to Georgia on Monday during which she will familiarise herself
with the situation in the country and discuss with its leadership issues
of the development of bilateral cooperation and problems of regional
security and peace, representatives of the Georgian authorities and the US
embassy in Tbilisi said.Clinton will meet, in particular, Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili and other officials, as well as
representatives of the civil society. US Ambassador John R. Bass said that
Clinton will familiarise with the situation in the country an d will
assess the progress of reforms, assess the changes that have taken place
in Georgia recently. The diplomat stated that the fundamental principle of
the US policy towards Georgia is the support of its territorial integrity
within the internationally recognised borders.According to information
from other sources, Clinton will also meet the leaders of a number of
opposition parties, heads of women's organisations and cultural figures,
including the renowned singer Nani Bregvadze.The Georgian president has
recently said that he regards "the US state secretary's visit very
important." "The United States supports Georgia and its territorial
integrity within the internationally recognised borders," he said. "I and
Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze had earlier several times met Clinton (in
the United States and Europe), so there is no sensational in that, but her
visit to Tbilisi is very important for Georgia."Leader of the opposition
party Christ ian Democratic Movement Georgy Targamadze told journalists
that he "expects Clinton to make an assessment of reforms in the sphere of
strengthening of democratic institutes in Georgia and in the sphere of
infrastructure projects."US-Georgia relations continue to be close. US
assistance is targeted to support Georgia's democratic, economic, and
security reform programmes, with an emphasis on institution-building and
implementing lasting reforms. The United States has provided Georgia
approximately 1.7 billion US dollars in assistance since 1991. On
September 12, 2005, Georgia signed a compact with the Millennium Challenge
Corporation for a five-year $295.3 million assistance package. The United
States works closely with Georgia to promote mutual security and
counterterrorism interests. The United States provides Georgia with
bilateral security assistance, including English-language and military
professionalism training, through the International Military Education a
nd Training (IMET) programme. The multi-year Georgia Train and Equip
Programme (GTEP) ended in 2004, achieving its intended goals of enhancing
Georgia's military capability and stimulating military reform. Launched in
January 2005, the Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Programme
has advanced GTEP's goals and trained the Georgian contingent
participating in coalition operations in Iraq. Partnership with the
Georgia of (US) National Guard, visits by the Sixth Fleet and the Coast
Guard to Georgia, and the Bilateral Working Group on Defence and Military
Cooperation are also important components of our security relationship
with Georgia.Promoting democracy and reform is another strategic pillar of
America's bilateral relationship with Georgia. In April 2006 the
government passed a strong anti-human trafficking law. Since then, the
government has taken further constructive steps to combat trafficking in
persons. In 2007, Georgia moved up to the Tier 1 list, meaning that it
fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking. Georgia hosts 90 Peace Corps Volunteers who work in English
Language Education and NGO Development.President George W. Bush has said
the United States used military aircraft and naval forces to deliver aid
to Georgia following the 2008 South Ossetia war with Russia.On January 9,
2009, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Georgian Foreign Minister
Grigol Vashadze signed a Charter on Strategic Partnership, a non-binding
document outlining areas of cooperation and reiterating the US support for
Georgia' s territorial integrity and to Georgia's NATO
membership.Following Obama's meeting with Medvedev in 2009, there were
worries in Georgia about Obama becoming more distant with Georgia.
However, the White house website gives news of Vice President Joe Biden
giving Georgia a visit from July 20-24. And that the administration will
continue to offer support to Georgia.(Description of Source: Mosco w
ITAR-TASS in English -- Main government information agency)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

90) Back to Top
DPRK Party Organ Says 'US Interference Biggest Hurdle in National
Reunification'
The vernacular full text of the following Rodong Sinmun "signed article"
has been obtained from the KPM website and is attached in PDF format; KCNA
headline: "Rodong Sinmun Terms U.S. Interference Biggest Hurdle in
National Reunification" - KCNA
Tuesday July 6, 2010 04:28:57 GMT
(Description of Source: Pyongyang KCNA in English -- Official DPRK news
agency. URL: http://www.kcna.co.j
p)Attachments:ArticleKimTaeYongRS6Jul10.pdf

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

91) Back to Top
US, ROK To Hold Joint Drills After UN Action Against DPRK
Updated version: upgrading precedence, rewording headline, adjusting tags,
and adding refs; Report by Kim Deok-hyun : "S. Korea, U.S. to Hold Joint
Drills After U.N. Action Against N. Korea" - Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:23:45 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

92) Back to Top
S. Korea, U.S. to Hold Joint Drills After U.N. Action Against N. Korea -
Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:09:38 GMT
S Korea-US-naval drills

S. Korea, U.S. to hold joint drills after U.N. action against N. KoreaBy
Kim Deok-hyunSEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States
will hold joint naval drills after the United Nations takes action against
Pyongyang for its deadly sinking of a Seoul warship, an official said
Tuesday.The two allies agreed in late May to stage large-scale
anti-submarine drills in South Korean waters in a show of force against
North Korea after a multinational investigation conclude d that the North
was responsible for torpedoing the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) warship. Forty-six
sailors were killed in the March 26 attack.The drills, initially expected
last month, were delayed."The joint drills will be carried out after the
U.N. Security Council takes measure against North Korea," said Col. Lee
Bung-woo, a spokesman at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a press
briefing.Lee declined to elaborate further, but it is the first time that
the South's military publicly linked the drills with developments in
Seoul's efforts to centure Pyongyang at the Security Council.South Korean
officials have said the U.S. plans to send the 97,000-ton USS George
Washington, an Aegis-equipped destroyer and a nuclear submarine for the
exercises. A 4,500-ton destroyer, a submarine and F-15K fighter jets are
to participate from the Seoul side.China, which holds veto power at the
Security Council and is the main ally of North Korea, has reportedly
expressed concerns about the South Korea-U.S. drills to be held in waters
off the Yellow Sea.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English --
Semiofficial news agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

93) Back to Top
A Date That Will Live in Infamy
"Viewpoint" column by Kim Jin, an editorial writer and Translation by the
JoongAng Daily staff: "A Date That Will Live in Infamy" - JoongAng Daily
Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:00:18 GMT
(JOONGANG ILBO) - June 29, 2010 will be recorded as a day just as shocking
as those other June 29s that impacted South Korea greatly.

What a twist of fate for Korea! In the modern history of Korea, the date
June 29 has come to carry significant meaning.The June 29 Declaration in
1987 was a tracheotomy that restored breath to a suffocating nation. Eight
years later, on June 29, 1995, Sampoong Department Store collapsed,
causing a deafening roar that revealed the faults and vulnerability hidden
beneath the rapid industrialization of Korean society.Seven years later on
June 29, 2002, a South Korean warship was sunk by a North Korean patrol
boat in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong. This incident, which left many
sailors dead, was a vivid illustration of how dangerous a disguised peace
with communists can be.Eight years have passed now, and June 29, 2010,
should be remembered as a day of warning for Koreans.That day, the biggest
opposition party in the Republic of Korea opposed the National Assembly's
resolution denouncing North Korea on the sinking of our warship Ch'o'nan
(Cheonan). Clear evide nce has been found that a torpedo attack caused the
sinking of the naval corvette, and the United States and nearly every
country in Europe, Central and Latin America and Asia have condemned North
Korea.But the biggest opposition party of the victimized country refused
to point fingers at the murderer. The objection was expected considering
how the Democratic Party has acted since the Ch'o'nan (Cheonan) incident,
and the move did not get much spotlight since the Sejong City vote was
held on the same day, garnering more attention. Nevertheless, June 29,
2010, will be recorded as a day just as shocking as those other June 29s
that came before.The Democratic Party is the original and most prestigious
opposition party in Korean politics. It was founded by conservative
opposition politicians who stood against the dictatorship of Syngman Rhee
in 1955. The DP persistently fought against a slew of dictatorships.
During the Rhee, Pak Cho'ng-hu'i (Park Chung-hee) and Cho'n Tu-hwan (Ch un
Doo-hwan) administrations, the party confronted the government fiercely in
the name of democratization.However, during the democratic movements from
the 1950s to the 1990s, the DP's values did not deviate much from the
government when it came to the national security. Leaders such as Jang
Myeon, Shin Ik-hui, Jo Byeong-ok, Yu Jin-san, Kim Yo'ng-sam (Kim
Young-sam) and Lee Cheol-seung all understood the danger of communism more
precisely than anyone.These opposition leaders knew very well that neither
the DP nor the democratization movement groups could exist if national
security collapsed. Lee Cheol-seung, who had been a political rival to Kim
Tae-chung (Kim Dae-jung), was one such leader. He had been engaged in the
anti-communist struggle all his life and thought that the
development-driven dictatorship of Pak Cho'ng-hu'i (Park Chung-hee) was
necessary to a certain degree for our national security.We don't have to
go back to the philosophy of the older opposition leaders to know that an
opposition party can exist only when there is a community. Now the DP
lawmakers are chauffeured in luxury sedans, enjoy fine dining and get
respected as assemblymen at home and abroad, thanks to the community and
the taxpayers' money.But these DP lawmakers refuse to denounce the
murderer that attacked their own community and killed 46 sailors. They are
defending the murder. They recommended an unqualified person for the
investigation team, and now they are saying that the results are not to be
trusted. Meanwhile, the international community has approved the
investigation, which included civilian and military experts from here and
abroad.However, the highest elite of the party who drafted the "New
Democratic Party Plan" criticized the investigative body and alleged that
it was controlled b y the government. Those blinded by the illusion of
North Korea include not only rank-and-file lawmakers but also the party
chairman and other leaders who had run f or president.Which country do
they represent? Whose citizens provide them with plush lives? Who are they
serving?They surely have something to count on. They just won the June 2
local elections without denouncing North Korea, and many pro-Pyongyang
politicians were elected. They believe that the young voters in their 20s
and 30s will support them as long as they argue, "Choose between war and
peace." Of course, they are free to follow their beliefs, and they might
continue to be successful.However, I feel the need to denounce the DP's
shocking support for Pyongyang. The party's forefathers had been
cooperative when it came to national security while working for
democratization.But now 46 sailors have had to end their short lives in
the cold sea. The soul of Warrant Officer Han Ju-ho must be furious in
heaven. Bearing this in mind, I must denounce in the strongest terms
possible the opposition party's actions of June 29, 2010.(Description of
Source: Seoul JoongAng D aily Online in English -- Website of
English-language daily which provides English-language summaries and
full-texts of items published by the major center-right daily JoongAng
Ilbo, as well as unique reportage; distributed as an insert to the Seoul
edition of the International Herald Tribune; URL:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com)

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94) Back to Top
DPRK's Hard-Line Stance Increases Uncertainty to NE Asia's Situation
Article by veteran commentator Li Yu-chih: "DPRK's Hard-Line Stance
Increases Factors of Instability" - Ta Kung Pao Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 00:59:48 GMT
Of late, the DPRK has shown its hard-line stance on many occasions,
including conducting military exercises in the West Sea waters, demanding
$65,000 billion (equivalent to HK$505,000 billion) compensation from the
United States, threatening to use a "new advanced method" to deal with the
ROK and the United States, and declaring the intention to "strengthen
nuclear deterrent" to counter the US "hostile policy and military threat."
Pyongyang did not further explain the contents of the "new advanced
method." However, according to outsiders' speculations, it probably means
a new round of nuclear tests, as the DPRK already announced in mid-April
that it had successfully mastered the technology of nuclear fusion
reactions. These instances of Pyongyang's hard-line stance have escalated
the tension in Northeast Asia and increased many factors of uncertainty in
the tense situation.

Deteriorating DPRK-US Relations

The world public cannot but wonder and even be surprised at the sudden
hard-line stance initiated by the DPRK at a time when the "Ch'o'nan"
incident has not been settled and the repercussions have slightly calmed
down. What is Pyongyang's motive, after all? Judging from Pyongyang's
usual style, this is another "move out of the common sense," a "weird
move" characterized by changeable behavior, erratic moods, varied
diplomatic ruse, and self-expressions in a dilemma. From the perspective
of internal and external environments and Pyongyang's own needs, two
inferences are worthy of attention in all circles. First, in order to
commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the Korean War on 25 June, the DPRK,
according to tradition, must "toughen up" toward the United States and the
ROC on the occasion to make a statement on Pyongyang's aspiration.
Objectively, Pyongyang's move proves that the recent DPRK-US and DPRK-ROK
relations have not impro ved but regressed and even deteriorated. Needless
to say, the deterioration is related to the sinking of the ROK guard ship
"Ch'o'nan" by torpedoes launched from the DPRK's small submarine. The G8
summit, just concluded in Toronto, Canada, issued a statement, condemning
the DPRK for sinking the ROK ship "Ch'o'non." Hence, the DPRK is obviously
isolated in the international community.

Another important inference is the recent spat of arrangements for
succession of the third son Kim Jong Un to the Kim Jong Il regime in the
DPRK. The DPRK regime's "father-to-son and son-to-grandson" succession was
started by its founding leader Kim Il Sung. Because the DPRK is neither a
"monarchical" feudal state nor "constitutional monarchy" as some countries
in Europe are and, moreover, because it clearly labels its national title
as a "democratic people's republic," the regime's "father-to-son"
succession has not on ly made people feel odd but also incurred
disapproval in the international arena. However, such a method of
"succession" is, after all, an internal affair of the DPRK. It is not
other countries' business, so long as the DPRK people from top to bottom
accept it (whether voluntarily or forcefully). However, it is not easy to
convince the public with the "father-to-son" succession. Therefore, it
needs to coordinate with some important supplementary measures in order to
ensure smooth succession without a hitch.

Kim Jong Il was already 52 when he succeeded his father on 8 July 1994. By
then, he was already mature with full ability and experience, and was
believed to have a team at his side to assist him to rule the country. In
other words, he already had confidants in the key government and military
departments. Moreover, although Kim Il Sung had already passed aw ay at
that time, his lingering authority was enough to shelter Kim Jong Il and
help him ti de over difficulties in the initial period of his rule. In
spite of all these, Kim Jong Il was able to officially succeed the post of
the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) only (after
three years) on 8 October 1997. Because the title of the "President of the
State" was "forever" reserved for Kim Il Song after the constitutional
amendment, Kim Jong Il assumed the post of the Chairman of the National
Defense Commission to "take overall command of the supreme state power in
political, military, and economic affairs." In other words, Kim Jong Il
spent about three years' time to convince and solve non-confidants in the
party, government, and military departments and, ultimately, became the
"supreme leaders" of the DPRK in actuality and legality.

Likely Succession of Kim Jong Un

The advantage for Kim Jong Un to succeed the lineage is that his father is
still alive and yields the power of having the final sa y. Under the
existing system, nobody in the party, government, and military departments
is believed to dare to "act against the emperor." With the father's
assistance and reminder, Kim Jong Un's succession will be a lot easier.
The disadvantage is that he is still young and probably has not yet built
a full team to rule the country. As the DPRK is a highly closed country,
Kim Jong Un is not quite known in the outside world. Just his name was
previously mistaken as "Jong Un" and "Jong Un" (different Chinese
characters). Kim Jong Il is 68 this year (born in 1942); and Kim Jong Un,
estimated to be around 30 or probably under 30 years of age, is fresh from
school in Switzerland not long ago. Based on the tradition of "every new
sovereign brings his own courtiers," it is not known whether Kim Jong Un
has already found his "right hand men," that is, the most loyal, devoted,
trustworthy courtiers. Nevertheless, his father has alread y made the
arrangement. Reportedly Kim Jong Il has already decided to let his
brother-in-law Jang Song Thaek, who is the vice chairman of the National
Defense Commission, to play the role of chief minister-regent. Kim Jong Il
will definitely rest assured with the Uncle's assistance when Kim Jong Un
takes over power.

There were already indications of Kim Jong Un's succession last year. For
example, (all official) DPRK media called Kim Jong Il the "sun" and Kim
Jong Un the "star" and "light of the nation." Reportedly Kim Jong Un has
already joined the National Defense Commission and controlled the real
power. Outsiders, especially the United States, the ROK, and Japan, should
indeed not underestimate Kim Jong Un's ability and commandership.

According to a source, in order to smoothly accomplish the big task of
passing on the power to Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il has reached compromise
with senior military generals and accepted their &quo t;hawkish" hard
line. Herein lies the reason for the offshore military exercises, demand
for US compensation, and threat to "strengthen nuclear deterrent,"
mentioned at the beginning of this article.

Accepting the "Hawish" Line

Generally speaking, whenever a country is in power transition and
succession, it is normal for the country to step up defense, whip up
clamors, or even station troops in the border; and there is no lack of
examples in history, ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign. The DPRK's
sudden hard-line stance, whether for domestic or foreign purposes, is
aimed at "establishing the authority" of Kim Jong Un and enhancing his
legitimacy as the successor. However, the danger of Pyongyang's hard-line
stance to the situation in Northeast Asia should not be ignored. Needless
to say, the other five parties of the six-party talks will watch closely
and, perhaps, make preparations militarily. Undoubtedly this is especia
lly important for the ROK and the United States.

The WPK Central Committee Political Bureau decided on 23 June to convene a
national party congress in September to elect a new leadership body. Kim
Jong Un is expected to succeed smoothly and ascend to the apex of power.
The next two months are crucial to whether the situation in Northeast Asia
will see a major change. Once Kim Jong Un smoothly completes the
succession, it is believed that he will adopt some policies to improve the
people's livelihood and follow a moderate line in foreign policy. It is
always the rule of history that when a new ruler ascends to the thrown, he
will try to win popular support. The father can pass on the DPRK's
strategy of alternating between the soft and hard lines and political
calculations to his son. It is hoped that the "world will enjoy peace"
after September.

(Description of Source: Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao Online in Chinese -- Website
of PRC-owned daily newspaper with a very small circulation; ranked low in
"credibility" in Hong Kong opinion surveys due to strong pro-Beijing bias;
has good access to PRC sources; URL:
http://www.takungpao.com)Attachments:tkp0705a.pdf

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95) Back to Top
DPRK Needs To Develop 'Nuclear Deterrent' in 'Newly Developed Ways'
Commentary by reporter Kim Chong-son: "Strengthening of Nuclear Deterrent
Is Ten Million Times Just"; The author's title in the byline provided by
KPM may be different from that which appears in hard copy - Rodong Sinmun
(Electronic Edition)
Monday July 5, 2010 23:35:09 GMT
Containing in these plans of operations are the particulars of a nuclear
war in our country -- the beginning and the end of it. Simply put, the
declassified US state documents prove that the US imperialists have
endlessly revised and developed plans for nuclear attack on our Republic.

To date the US imperialists have worked out a number of plans of
operations to provoke a new war in Korea and have run amok to translate
them into reality. It has already been known that they (the US
imperialists) mapped out a top secret plan of operations called "8-53"
designed to provoke a new Korean war, in November 1953, shortly after they
suffered a defeat in the Korean war. "Pink Route Operations Plan" for a
northward aggression was mapped out in the 1960s. According to this, such
things as an armed spy ship "Pueblo" sneaked into the territorial waters
of our country. It is also revealed that similar operations plans were
worked out i n the 1970s and 1980s as well. In the 1990s, the US
imperialists worked out "Operations Plan 5027" to "bring down" our
Republic and have kept revising it. It includes "New Operations Plan 5026"
that envisioned a preemptive strike on our nuclear facilities, the
"Operations Plan 5030," which is said to have aimed at "guiding somebody
to unrest and collapse," "Operations Plan 5029-05," and "Operations Plan
8022-02."

The means of nuclear attack delivery deployed in South Korea and its
vicinity are closely linked to the US imperialists' strategy of nuclear
war of northward aggression. The number of US nuclear weapons deployed in
South Korea was well over 1,000 by the mid-1970s. The number kept growing
even after the international treaty banning the introduction of nuclear
weapons into non-nuclear countries and non-nuclear regions was signed. A
case in point is the relocation of uranium bombs deployed in US military
bases in Okinawa, Japan, to military bases used by US forces occupying
South Korea in 1997.

The US imperialists who have accelerated the completion of a commanding
system for a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula for a long time have set
up primary nuclear war command bases in Taegu and Osan regions. US armed
forces units stationed in South Korea are on a constant alert so that they
can use nuclear weapons in a minute after receiving orders. Local
commanders of US forces have the authority to use nuclear weapons. Under
circumstances like these, a nuclear war can break out on the Korean
peninsula at any time.

Publishing the "Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) Report" in April (2010), the
Obama administration excluded our country from the list of countries that
(the United States promised) not use nuclear weapons against. This
indicates that the hostile policy toward the DPRK of its predecessor Bush
administration which routinely threatened the fo rmer with nuclear
(weapons) has not changed at all.

The United States has been accelerating preparations for a war of
northward aggression, while continuously bringing nuclear weapons into
South Korea. The large-scale "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" joint military
exercises, conducted throughout the whole of South Korea a few months
back, were part of the reckless maneuver of the United States and the
puppets to provoke a nuclear war of northward aggression. The US
imperialist war mongers are speeding up the relocation of mobile strike
forces for deployment, while scheming to stage another large-scale
military exercise in South Korea. Even at this minute, the situation on
the Korean peninsula is in an extremely tense state which can explode if
touched.

The historical facts and the present reality prove that our Republic was
entirely right when it came to the conclusion that there is no other way
but to cope with nuclear (attack) with nuclear attack.

It was the exercise of our Republic's legitimate right to self-defense
that it had nuclear deterrent in its possession to cope with the
increasing nuclear threat from the United States. Our nuclear deterrent is
for self-defense through and through and it is for the purpose of
defending the Korean peninsula and our nation against the US maneuver to
provoke a nuclear war. It is entirely thanks to our enormously powerful
war deterrent that the fuse of a nuclear war has not been ignited on the
Korean peninsula.

Self-defense is a sovereign right of each country and each nation. The
nuclear deterrent we have in our possession was required by the prevailing
situation in which the danger of a nuclear war to be provoked by the
United States on the Korean peninsula is becoming real and it is for the
purpose of firmly defending our sovereignty and the socialist system of
our own style.

As the US bellicose forces are strengthening their moves to crush our Re
public with nuclear (weapons) on a previously unknown scale under the
pretext of the sinking incident of ship "Ch'o'nan (Cheonan)," nobody knows
when our country will be attacked with nuclear (weapons) by the US
imperialists. For this reason, our Republic has been paying special
attention to maintaining and bolstering the nuclear deterrent.

The serious situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula stresses the need
for us to further bolster our nuclear deterrent in a new developed method.
Let us make it clear: Our Republic has the legitimate right to further
reinforce our nuclear deterrent as needed in a new developed method to
defend the country's supreme interests. We will exercise this right openly
and squarely.

(Description of Source: Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun (Electronic Edition) in
Korean -- Daily of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea;
posted on the Korean Press Media (KPM) website run by the pro-Pyongyang
General Association of Ko rean Residents in Japan; URL:
http://dprkmedia.com)Attachments:DPRKNuclearDeterrentJustified--RodongSinmun--05Jul10.pdf

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96) Back to Top
China Times: Forget Ftas If Ecfa Altered
By Maubo Chang - Central News Agency
Tuesday July 6, 2010 04:55:42 GMT
The legislative branch and the executive branch are engaged in a argument
about how an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) recently
signed with China should be ratified by the Legislature.

Similar questions arose 17 years ago when Taiwan concluded its first four
agreements with China.Although man y lawmakers at the time asked the
Constitutional Court to rule on the issue based on its power to interpret
the Constitution, the court rejected taking the case, arguing that it was
a political issue outside of their jurisdiction.But the answer to the
question is not really that elusive, because the Legislature has the power
to reject the agreement if it does not see eye to eye with the Executive
Yuan. The premier can then accept the rejection or ask the legislative
body to reconsider the issue, and should step down if the Legislature
sticks to its original decision.The executive branch can hardly ask the
legislative branch to keep intact agreements it has hammered out with
foreign governments while ratifying them.But the legislature's attempt to
revise these agreements, even in terms of small details, would bring down
the overall pact, which resulted from long hours of bickering and arguing
between negotiators.That is why the Legislature had never, until earlier
this year, directly adjusted the content of any treaty. Instead, it
normally passed a resolution asking the Executive Yuan to correct what it
considered inappropriate clauses in the deal to show the body's respect
for the country's overall interests.But this practice was trampled on when
the Legislative Yuan vetoed Taiwan's agreement with the United States on
opening Taiwan's market to U.S. beef early this year. Many ruling party
lawmakers joined hands with their opposition colleagues to oppose the beef
protocol with the U.S. and demand that the government reopen negotiations
with Washington.Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng should knew quite well
what would happen if the ECFA were altered in any way while being reviewed
line-by-line by the Legislature. It could undo Taiwan's efforts to
reconcile with China and scare away other states which were interested in
starting free trade talks with Taiwan.Without KMT lawmakers' help, the
30-odd Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers could never have overturned
parts of the beef protocol with United States, and the same is true for
the ECFA. In order to ensure the pact's ratification, every effort must be
made by the ruling party. If President Ma Ying-jeou cannot shepherd it
through the Legislature, he should step down as KMT chairman.(Editorial
abstract -- July 6, 2010)(Description of Source: Taipei Central News
Agency in English -- "Central News Agency (CNA)," Taiwan's major state-run
press agency; generally favors ruling administration in its coverage of
domestic and international affairs; URL: http://www.cna.com.tw)

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97) Back to Top
Credit Guarantees For SMEs Hit Record High i n 2009 - Yonhap
Monday July 5, 2010 06:48:01 GMT
SMEs-credit guarantees

Credit guarantees for SMEs hit record high in 2009SEOUL, July 5 (Yonhap)
-- South Korea's credit guarantees for small and medium enterprises (SME)
reached an all-time high in 2009 as the government stepped up efforts to
help struggling companies, the financial watchdog said Monday.According to
the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund
and two other state agencies provided SMEs with a combined 75.3 trillion
won (US$61.6 billion) in credit guarantees last year, up 49.5 percent from
the previous year.The portion of the credit guarantees to the country's
gross domestic product (GDP) came to 7.1 percent, the highest level since
2003, the FSC said.Extending credit guarantees helps companies lacking
collateral borrow money from financial institutions. Two years ago, the
government impl emented several measures for cash-strapped SMEs, including
credit guarantee extensions, to counter the global financial meltdown.The
government plans to retain the so-called fast track policy, a liquidity
enhancing program for SMEs, until the end of this year while gradually
normalizing all other special measures, including credit guarantee
programs, starting this month, it said.South Korea's ratio of SME-bound
credit guarantees to its GDP was 4.9 percent in 2008, higher than 0.5
percent for the United States and 2.6 percent for Taiwan, the watchdog
said, adding the figure for Japan stood at 6.2 percent.(Description of
Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news agency of the ROK;
URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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98) Back to Top
Lee to Send Ruling Party Lawmaker as Special Envoy to Libya - Yonhap
Monday July 5, 2010 08:24:19 GMT
S Korean envoy-Libya

Lee to send ruling party lawmaker as special envoy to LibyaSEOUL, July 5
(Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak (Yi Myo'ng-pak) will send a ruling
party lawmaker to Libya as his special envoy this week to promote
bilateral relations and support South Korean firms trying to win
construction orders from the African nation, the foreign ministry said
Monday.Rep. Lee Sang-deuk, a six-term lawmaker who is also a brother of
President Lee, will make a week-long trip to Libya from Tuesday as a
special presidential envoy to mark 30 years of relations between the two
countries, the ministry said in a statement.The lawmaker plans to meet
with Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi to deli ver a message from President
Lee in which he hopes to strengthen friendly ties between their nations
and asks for help in getting South Korean companies participate in
infrastructure projects in the country, the ministry said.The envoy's trip
"is expected to provide support for our companies trying to win major
projects and contribute to moving relations between the two countries
forward," the ministry said in a statement.Libya is the fourth-largest
overseas market for South Korean builders, with Korean firms winning 21
projects worth a total of about US$3.1 billion in the country last
year.South Korea and Libya established diplomatic relations in 1980.Libya
gave up its nuclear programs in 2003 in exchange for economic concessions
from the United States and other Western nations. South Korea has urged
North Korea to follow Libya's footsteps and abandon its atomic
programs.(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial
news agency of the ROK; URL: h ttp://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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99) Back to Top
Xinhua 'Roundup': Film, TV Industry Bedrock of U.S. Economy
Xinhua "Roundup" by George Bao: "Film, TV Industry Bedrock of U.S.
Economy" - Xinhua
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:34:56 GMT
LOS ANGELES, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The film and TV industry is the bedrock of
the U.S. economy and one of the few industries that have a trade surplus
with foreign countries, which is significant for the United States as it
faces a huge deficit and recession.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, U.S. Congressman A dam Schiff said the
export of movie and TV products has become a very important component of
the U.S. economy.At Walt Disney Studios in Southern California, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton
called the U.S. film and TV business the "bedrock" of the U.S. economy.
"Its creativity and imagination have made American entertainment one of
our greatest exports over the decades," he said.That explains why the
United States has stepped up efforts to fight piracy in the
industry.According to Morton, last year, the ICE launched 1,479
investigations and seized 62 million U.S. dollars in counterfeit
merchandise.He said with continued coordination between industries, U.S.
law enforcement will make a bigger dent in the counterfeit and pirated
goods that threaten the U.S. economy.According to a report released by the
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the U.S. motion picture
industry is not only a business in Hollyw ood, but a nationwide
enterprise.Traditional perceptions of the American motion picture industry
evoke images of studios in sun-drenched Southern California, and
on-location shooting on the bustling streets of New York.While the
industry is rooted in both of these historic places, today the American
motion picture and television industry is a national enterprise with
workers spread from coast to coast, the report said.The 2010 Report on
Economic Contribution says that when people think of U.S. film and
television production, they tend to think of "Hollywood," New York and
other leading American filmmaking communities. But today, film and
television production is a nationwide economic engine that is bringing new
jobs and economic opportunities to communities across the United
States.From Michigan to New Mexico, from Illinois to Louisiana, film and
television production is now increasing in all 50 U.S. states.According to
the report, the U.S. motion picture and telev ision industry is a major
private-sector employer that supported 2.4 million jobs and over 140
billion dollars in total wages in 2008.This employment contribution
includes the following direct categories of jobs, which generate 41.7
billion dollars in wages, and an average salary of 55,600 dollars, which
is 26 percent higher than the national average, the report says.The
industry generates over 296,000 jobs in the core business of producing,
marketing, manufacturing and distributing motion pictures and television
shows across every major occupational group, according to the report.Over
453,000 jobs have been created in related businesses that distribute
motion pictures and television shows to consumers, including people
employed at movie theaters, video retail and rental operations, television
broadcasters, cable companies and new dedicated online ventures.Jobs
created by the industry are located in every U.S. state. Although many of
the core production-related jobs are stil l located in California and New
York, nearly 40 percent are now located outside those states. Every single
state has jobs of this kind, according to the report.Illinois has the
fifth most direct production jobs in the United States, after California,
New York, Florida and Texas, with more than 7,500 direct production jobs
and 430 million dollars in related wages, the report says.The state is
also among the top five nationally in production-related businesses, with
more than 1,500 businesses in the state specifically devoted to the
production industry.Some key titles that were filmed in Illinois in 2008
were the movies Public Enemies and The Informant! and the television
series ER, Judge Mathis, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.ER, which was the
longest-running production ever to film in Chicago, contributed nearly
33.5 million dollars to the local economy during its 16-year filming in
Chicago, the report says.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English
-- China's official ne ws service for English-language audiences (New
China News Agency))

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100) Back to Top
Nepal's Garment Exports To U.S. Sink To Zero
Xinhua: "Nepal's Garment Exports To U.S. Sink To Zero" - Xinhua
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:34:56 GMT
KATHMANDU, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Long plunging garment exports to the United
States have hit rock bottom with not one piece being shipped in June.
Nepal's ready-made garment manufacturers received zero orders from the
U.S. during the month, The Kathmandu Post daily reported on Tuesday.

Statistics of the Garment Associati on of Nepal (GAN) show that garment
exports in the first six months of 2010 recorded a decline of 38.9
percent.According to GAN, exports to the U.S. amounted to 2.19 million
U.S. dollars during the review period. Exports during the first six months
of 2009 were worth 3.59 million dollars.Exports to the U.S. have been
consistently declining since the elimination of quotas in global apparel
trading in 2005. The decline in exports to the U.S. in the last four years
has pushed Nepal's garment industry to the verge of collapse.Even though
exports to the U.S. had grown by around 25 percent in January 2010, the
last five months have been dismal. According to GAN, exports have
nose-dived by 90 percent during the period 2005 to 2009.Garment
manufacturers are not surprised by this massive decline. "This is not a
new story for the garment industry," said GAN past president Kiran Sakha.
"Manufacturers and exporters both have lost hope due to the constant labor
unrest and bandas that have crippled production.""This was bound to
happen," said trade expert Ratnakar Adhikari. He added that Nepali
ready-made garments had been losing competitiveness in the U.S. market.
"Garment manufacturers and exporters should look to other markets
including the EU rather than relying on the U.S. market only," said
Adhikari.With Nepal not being able to get duty-free access for its ready-
made garments in the U.S. market, the only hope is the Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) which Nepal and the U.S. are to sign
in the near future. TIFA has provisions that will help Nepal to gain
favorable market access in the U.S.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua
in English -- China's official news service for English-language audiences
(New China News Agency))

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101) Back to Top
Judge Asks Police To Probe Blackwater Involvement in Lahore Shrine Attack
For a copy of the video or assistance with multimedia elements, contact
OSC at (800) 205-8615 or OSCinfo@rccb.osis.gov. - Geo News TV
Monday July 5, 2010 16:46:18 GMT
(Description of Source: Karachi Geo News TV in Urdu -- 24-hour satellite
news TV channel owned by Pakistan's Jang publishing group, broadcast from
Dubayy. Known for providing quick and detailed reports of events. Programs
include some Indian shows and dramas which the group claims are aimed at
promoting people-to-people contact and friendly relations with India.)

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102) Back to Top
Chinese Embassy Says Nuclear Deal With Pakistan Meets International
Obligations
News Desk report: Sino-Pak N-deal meets international obligations - The
News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:44:15 GMT
WASHINGTON: Chinese Embassy in Washington said on Sunday China believes
that its agreement to install two new nuclear reactors in Pakistan does
not violate international obligations, Geo news reported. In a statement
to the US media, the embassy's spokesman Wang Baodong said Beijing was
convinced the reactor deal "goes along well with the international
obligations China and Pakistan carry in relation to the international
nuclear non-proliferation regime. " A US expert, Mark Hibbs of the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said: "The US doesn't really
have any options.....There is nothing the US can do to prevent China from
going ahead with this deal."

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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103) Back to Top
PTI Chief Says Pakistan P aying Price For Fighting Proxy War For US
Report by staff reporter: Imran claims he can crush terrorism in three
months - The News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:41:49 GMT
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday claimed
that if he were the prime minister, he would have eliminated the menace of
terrorism within 90 days. According to a private news channel, during his
visit to the Data Darbar in Lahore, Imran said that Pakistan is paying the
price for fighting a proxy war for America.

He said the real terrorists should be eliminated but "if we treat the
enemies of America as our enemies, the war will continue". Khan noted that
the war on terror had taken a heavy toll on Pakistan's economy and only a
small group of the elite class were profiting from the aid and loans.

He claimed that if he was the prime minister of Pakistan, the proble ms of
terrorism could have been resolved within three months. He said that
security should be provided to the Pakistani people and not just political
families.

Our correspondent adds: Scores of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf activists staged
a peaceful demonstration in Rawalpindi to agitate the recent increase in
electricity and gas charges, saying it was an anti-people move to further
erode their purchase power.

PTI Chairman Imran's Spokesman Zahid Hussain Kazmi, the party's north
Punjab zone organiser Zadaqat Ali Abbasi and other office-bearers rallied
at the Committee Chowk, carrying placards and banners, inscribed with
slogans against the rulers.

In their speeches, Kazmi, Abbasi and others lamented that on the one hand
the rulers were leading a lavish life at the cost of poor taxpayers'
money, whereas on the other hand, people were committing suicides and
selling their children because of poverty, unemployment and continuous
price hike of basic kitchen item s such as, ghee, atta, spices, tea and
even sugar, of which Pakistan had sufficient stocks.

"If it is not possible for the rulers to keep a check on prices of
commodities, they should quit and pave the way for mid-term elections,"
they emphasized. The PTI leaders strongly condemned the recent gory terror
attack on the shrine of Data Ali Hajweri and alleged entire energies were
being used to ensure foolproof security to the rulers, be they in
Islamabad or in the Punjab. They called on Interior Minister Rehman Malik
and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to step down after they had
failed to protect life and property of the people.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Cir culation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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104) Back to Top
JI Chief Says Blackwater, US Marines Involved in Data Shrine Attacks
Unattributed report: Blackwater behind Darbar incident: JI - The Nation
Online
Monday July 5, 2010 09:46:33 GMT
KARACHI - Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan on Sunday claimed that
Blackwater and US marines were involved in the Data Darbar blast saying
that any Muslim cannot imagine the act of terrorism at Data Darbar.

Addressing press conference at JI office Idara-e-Noor Haq, he said that
Blackw ater and US marines wanted to destabilise Pakistan.

Commenting over the statement of Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik,
he asked the Federal Minister to arrest the terrorists involved in the
attack on Data Darbar incident. He underlined the need of Jirga politics
to resolve the ongoing issues of FATA areas and asked the government to
reject the pressure of operation on Southern Punjab and North Waziristan.

He said that Army chief did not presented the balance sheet of Army
operation in Southern Waziristan and asked the Chief of Army Staff to
inform the nation about the achievement of Pakistan Army to stop the acts
of terrorism through operation.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The Nation Online in English -- Website
of a conservative daily, part of the Nawa-i-Waqt publishing group.
Circulation around 20,000; URL: http://www.nation.com.pk)

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105) Back to Top
Congressman Says US To Help Pakistan Establish Real Democratic Setup
Report by Sami Abraham: US wants strong civilian rule in Pakistan, says
Berman - The News Online
Monday July 5, 2010 07:55:56 GMT
DALLAS: Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the US House Foreign
Affairs Committee, has said that the US would help Pakistan establish the
real democratic set-up in which civilians authorities are in full control.

Speaking in the 33rd annual summer meeting of the Association of Pakistani
Physicians of North America (APPNA) as keynote speaker here on Saturday
evening, he said: "We want all institutions, including armed forces, to
accept the supremacy of civilian rule in Pakistan." Congressman Berman
said the US was being run by civilians and firing of Gen McChrystal in
Afghanistan was an ample proof of that. "We want such strong civilian rule
in Pakistan," he added.

Congressman Berman said the US would continue supporting Pakistan to help
the Pakistani people. Earlier, APPNA President Dr Zeelaf Munir and Dr Asif
Ch welcomed Congressman Howard Berman. Dr Adeeb Rizvi from Karachi and Dr
Mehar Tabatabai were given the APPNA presidential award on the occasion.

INP adds: "If Pakistan is facing any problem in getting military equipment
from the US, it should inform us. We have never received any complaint
from Pakistan," Howard Berman said, while talking to a private TV channel.

About the US aid under the Kerry-Lugar-Berman Law, Berman said: "We will
not allow misappropriation in aid." He said the US wanted strong relations
with Pakistan, not only to defeat terrorism, but also for peace and
stability in the region and for their mutual interests.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The News Online in English -- Website of
a widely read, influential English daily, member of the Jang publishing
group. Neutral editorial policy, good coverage of domestic and
international issues. Usually offers leading news and analysis on issues
related to war against terrorism. Circulation estimated at 55,000; URL:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
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106) Back to Top
Pakistan Daily Hails Planned National Conference To Evolve Anti-terror
Strategy
Editorial: Anti-terror Conference - The Nation Online
Monday July 5, 2010 07:28:35 GMT
IT is really ridiculous to see the leadership of the Centre and Punjab
trading accusations against each other over responsibility for the ongoing
acts of terrorism across the country. The tirade coming from the Centre
especially, have been insensitive as well as baseless in the immediate
aftermath of the Data Darbar tragedy. Worse still have been the
histrionics from the Governor Punjab against the government of his
province. At a time when national grieving requires a healing touch from
the rulers, instead of uniting the nation against terrorists, new
provincial divides are being created by the likes of the Interior Minister
with talk of "Punjabi Taliban", despite the fact that terrorism knows
neither ethnic nor religious identities. No wonder the terrorists find
themselves with increasing space for their murderous plans against the
Pakistani nation. The targetin g of the Sufi saint's shrine in the heart
of Lahore was definitely the work of an Islam-hating group - and it is
time the oft claimed external funding sources of militancy within Pakistan
are made public by the government. The choice of target was meant to
create sectarian and provincial hatred and destabilise the country further
by destabilising the most populous province and pushing Pakistan on the
disastrous road of a military operation in the heavily populated region of
southern Punjab.

It is in this environment that Nawaz Sharif's call for a national
conference on terrorism to evolve a consensual strategy is a welcome move.
He has not only volunteered to get his party to organise this but has said
he would welcome such a move from the Centre. The government needs to move
on this as soon as possible. Not only should all the political forces be
brought to the table, but expertise should be sought from different
Pakistani sources. It is time we moved out of the US a nti-terror ambit
with its failed strategies and evolved our own consensual strategies
taking into account ground realities.

A national conference should take as its starting point the National
Assembly's resolution a while back on terrorism. It must also consider a
short term strategy alongside a long term policy to deny space to future
potential terrorists. This would require a focus on education - both for
the sort and long term, as well as economic hope for the masses. Some
measures, on which there is a general consensus except from the ruling
PPP, can be taken immediately to alter the operational environment to a
positive one for a counter terrorism strategy. Amongst these measures
would be an end to drone attacks, a retreat from the IMF-dictated economic
measures which are causing increasing despair amongst the population and a
visible delinkage from US policies which in itself will rally the nation
around the government. Beyond that, a visible culture of politic al
tolerance will rebuild the same at the level of the people. Nothing will
reflect this more than a national conference against terrorism.

(Description of Source: Islamabad The Nation Online in English -- Website
of a conservative daily, part of the Nawa-i-Waqt publishing group.
Circulation around 20,000; URL: http://www.nation.com.pk)

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107) Back to Top
Ahmadinezhad Says Iran Will Not Be Affected By Latest Sanctions
Speech by Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad at a ceremony to
inaugurate a privately-owned steel factory in the provincial town of
Bonab, East Azarbayjan Province -- live - Vision of the Islamic Republic
of Iran East Azarba yjan provincial TV
Monday July 5, 2010 16:48:09 GMT
I thank the Almighty God. I am sincerely glad that I am taking part in
this glorious holiday of endeavor, effort, and production. I heartily
thank the Almighty God for giving me the chance to once again visit
Azarbayjan, the country of love, fervor, and hope.My dear ones! As Mr
Shabestari and Mr Minister noted before, we must build Iran today. The
reason we need to build Iran is the factor that has roots in the depth of
history, in the depth of thinking and the culture and hearts of the dear
Azaris in Azarbayjan. The first factor we need is love. We must love our
Iran, our culture, our existence, our motherland, and our compatriots.
Azarbayjan is a brilliant manifestation of the love for Iran. The love for
Iran has been in the blood of every and each person in Azarbayjan
throughout history. The highest level of self-sacrifice for Iran' s
dignity has been made in Azarbayjan and by dear Azaris. We are proud of
this.We had a conversation downstairs. The friends were talking to each
other. Mr Heydari was speaking in Azari. We said that if we searched the
depth of the hearts of all Iranians, we would eventually find out that all
of them have Azari roots. (Participants applaud the president)We must
build an Iran with passion. Without zeal, a nation, a group, a city, or an
individual cannot conquer a castle, or dominate over an area. No progress
can be made without zeal. Zeal means that a man must be sensitive to
developments, to the lack of things, to strong and weak points. He also
has to have a sense of responsibility. He should not be indifferent, but
worried if there is a lack of something, is there is asthenia. He has to
have the will to restore that lacking point, to fill that gap. If he sees
that his dignity and honor come under attack on the world stage, if his
existence, his culture, values, morality, h is name (comes under attack),
he has to have the will to remove the obstacles, to break the vile hands
and show dignity and honor to the world.We need zeal. With God's help,
Azarbayjan is a country that is a source zeal and home to zealous people,
zealous men and women who devote all their existence to the building and
development (of Iran). And if there is love and zeal but no hope for great
victories, not enough incentive will be found for movement. This is a nice
slogan which Mr Zonuzi has repeated here, which comes from our imam. Its
principle comes from our dear Islam and its reality comes from the
historical hope of humanity and historical hope of the Iranian nation to
achieve all good deeds in the world, hoping in the future, hoping in
ability, believing in ability. It means that we can, that it will happen.
If we try, if we make the wills active, then it will happen.If 10, 20
years ago, 30 years ago someone had said that, for example, we must take
fourth place in the world in cement production, some people would not have
believed him. The people in the hearts of which love, zeal, and hope had
become weaker would not have believed him. But we have managed to do that
today. If six years ago someone had said that we should produce steel in
Azarbayjan, in Bonab, and be first in steel production in the country's
private sector, and God willing, we would soon be the first in all these
spheres, those whose hearts had weakened and become empty of love, zeal,
and hope would not have believed that. But as we can see, that has
happened.I would like to stress some two or three points here. And I would
like to address -- actually not to address but to say directly to those
who were shocked and who are angry at the blinding progress made by the
Iranian nation, who are kicking themselves and knocking at every door to
create an obstacle on the path of the Iranian nation.Points that are
related to you. Let me speak about (the aforementioned) love and wi ll.
Very hard work has been done here. I sincerely thank Mr Zonuzi, his
colleagues, laborers, specialists, contractors, advisors, designers, all
people, including those at the Ministry of Industry, the governor-general,
the esteemed Friday imam, banks, and all persons in charge of this work.
However, I do believe that Azarbayjan should be the first in all spheres
of life in the country and it is able to do that. (People applaud
Ahmadinezhad)I was told that they (Azaris) have launched an airline
company that will shortly rank the third best company. I said why should
not it be the first company? Azarbayjan has the capability to do this in
the industry, agriculture, culture, production, and commerce. I will say
something in this regard.The Azari people have served as a source of
development, progress, endeavor, and grace in every place they have been.
Not only in the sphere of steel, but also in car production, other
industrial fields, and agriculture as well. Why should not A zarbayjan be
the first in sports? It was an excellent job by you to establish (soccer)
teams like Traktorsazi and Gostaresh-e Fulad. Dozens of teams should be
established in the top division in various fields.The second point I would
like to make is that you should expand you views beyond Iran's borders.
Why do you want to be the first in the sphere of steel production in Iran
only? Is it impossible to be the first in the region? Is it possible or
not? It is. As you have gained work experience in this field, and are
capable of launching such a factory in several months' time, it is obvious
how great a job you can do in years to come.Iran is a global (country).
All Iranians should target the far reaches of the world. It comes from our
school, our history, and culture.And the last point is that, everybody
should help each other in order to achieve success. Everybody. A plant
needs to be launched. Formally, a factory belongs to several people, two
people, three people, 10 peopl e, 2,000 people, and at least 50,000
people. Several millions of people are living in Azarbayjan. Formally, it
belongs to some people. But, whom does it belong in fact? It belongs to
the whole of Azarbayjan, to the entire Iran. Everyone who takes steps on
this path should assist others in a way. Thanks God, there are not such
cases in Azarbayjan, in Iran, but sometimes we hear that some people,
instead of helping always....(pauses) If a plant was built within two
years despite some obstacles, it means that had we removed these
obstacles, these measures would have been carried out earlier. Well, who
is going to benefit from this? It is to everyone's benefit. Everyone
should help. Now, the duty of the government apparatus and us is to help,
arrest, examine, pursue, support, and do our best. The rest should also do
the same. Everyone should help hand in hand. Here, I invite all producers,
initiators, workers, the investors of East Azarbayjan to do great jobs in
four or five yea rs, with the help of Ali and Hoseyn (Shiite Imams). We
will also help you.Now I want to mention to the last point, about the
sanctions that (the supreme leader's representative in East Azarbayjan,
Ayatollah) Shabestari, Zonuzi and Mr Minister (Industries and Mines
Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian) have spoken about. Recently, I gave an
interview to an American journalist with a famous newspaper that has a
circulation of 45 million. We had a long discussion about the situation in
the world. S/he asked me about sanctions and said: What do you think, can
their (Western countries) decision hamper Iran's development? I want to
tell you my answer in several sentences. I said that, in the past we
thought that politicians in the West did not know history. We thought that
they did not know history. Now we come to understand that they do not know
geography either. Their (knowledge of) history and geography is nil. I
asked him/her: Do you have knowledge of Iran? What do you know about Iran
? Do you know where Iran is located? How big is the Iranian territory? Who
are the Iranian people? What is the endeavor of Iranians? I said: Iran's
total area is 1,750,000 square meters. This is Iran. But the area of the
cultural influence of Iran has been many times as bigger throughout
history. Some of the neighboring nations consider themselves Iranians in
terms of culture, not only in terms of political geography. This is an
important topic. They recognize themselves as part of the Iranian
civilization and culture. Iran has everything, including industries of
mines and agriculture. But that is not all. Let us speak about human
power, the highest thoughts, endeavors, and honors.All of these appertain
to Iran. So you do not know Iran's history. Of course, I want to say that
they know it (the history of Iran). They just pretend they do not know it.
One of the Western politicians was talking to us. I asked: "What is the
matter with you? Why are you kicking up a fuss and trouble yourselves?"
Please, pay attention. He said: "Can I speak frankly?" I said, yes. He
said: "We all feel anxious about the rebirth of Iran's culture and
civilization." I asked: "Why are you worried about it? The culture and
civilization of Iran is a culture of spiritual, humanity, and justice
values; Iran's culture is a culture of friendship and love."Certainly, we
know why they are worried. They are well-aware that the cultural,
civilization-making, and management capabilities of the Iranian nation are
so effective that once they are mobilized and make steps forward, it will
conquer all the arenas of the world within several years. There will not
remain any place for them.As for the events under way now, their sanctions
will not damage Iran at all. This is not the case when they want to
control Iran and have an impact on it. No. Actually, they are trying to
defend themselves; they are embarking on all the possible places across
the world against the expansion of Iran's benevolent culture. They are
protecting their existence, however they know for sure that they cannot
commit infraction.(People chanting: God is Great, Down with America, Down
with Monafeqins (hypocrites), Down with Israel).(Ahmadinezhad) They
know...(pauses) Now they have imposed sanctions. I want to say and I want
them to listen. First, we do not make many efforts against these
sanctions, but if you still continue to create obstacles, know that the
people of Azarbayjan have sufficient abilities to thwart the sanctions and
give you a slap in the face and push you back to your countries'
boundaries.(People applauding)Absolutely, there is no need to declare a
full-scale mobilization in order to thwart the sanctions. No. There is no
need to broadcast by media. We can make arrangements here and, by the will
of God, one year later, due to your courage and initiative, they will
accept that they were wrong and will apologize to the Iranian nati on.This
will happen. I asked during a meeting: Where were you (the West) when Iran
created a civilization? Here, in Tabriz, in Azarbayjan we have bathhouses
constructed 400 years ago. And they are still in use. These are the most
advanced ones from the view of their architectural or structural
characteristics. If we want to construct similar (bathhouses) ones, we
cannot do so with the same quality.They are completely compatible with the
physical body and environment, when one enters these bathhouses and gets
out of there, his spirit becomes healthier. These bathhouses have hotbeds
and cooling water. I will not numerate all as you are well aware of them.I
have mentioned in detail all those characteristics two-three days ago in
my meeting with craftsmen. (Addressing the West) When we had bathhouses,
you did not have them. Even you did not know what bathhouses and
cleanliness was.When the Safavi reign was established in Iran, it ruled
the world's west and east in the best way. It rose from this land,
Azarbayjan. So many buildings, roads, caravanserais, huge cultural
heritage, and human relations. Where were you at those times? Now
something has happened suddenly and you have taken advantage of the
Iranians' negligence. You (addressing his audience) should know that they
packed up, taking advantage of the Iranians' negligence. In some period,
unqualified governments came and did not let the nation prosper. By
disconnecting it from the nation, they did not allow Iran to go along its
path. This dishonorable and irresolute Pahlavi (dynasty), who did not have
a bit of love for their motherland Iran in their soul, came and blocked
the path of the Iranian nation. They created negligence and then they
packed up. They stole nations' wealth and packed up. They looted the whole
of Asia and Africa. I have been to one of the countries of the Far East, a
large country with a territory of 7 million to 8 million square kilometers
and a population of more than 200 million. I was taken to an ancient
palace. The president of that country told me that this palace was
constructed by the so and so European country, a very small country with a
population of 5 million to 6 million. He said they built it in the period
of colonialism, when they ruled them. These things exist everywhere in the
world, except Iran, of course. They went and stole the whole world's mines
and wealth, and gathered them there. Then, through these things they
humiliate nations and show their power. Why do these things happened? They
occurred in the period of Iran's negligence. Otherwise, in any other
period in history when Iranians were aware, united, and ready for
movement, even the most stiff-necked and arrogant persons knelt down in
front of Iranians. I do not want to take your time. You know history very
well. I want to tell them that that period has now finished. Today, Iran
is awake. Today Azarbayjan is awake.(Ahmadinezhad in Azari) Azarbayjan is
awake.(Audience chants in Azari) Azarbayjan is awake and supports the
revolution.(Ahmadinezhad, continues in Persian) This awareness has formed
a movement in Iran. (I do not mean that) there are no problems or
weaknesses. No. Basically, the greatness of humans and the greatness of
their work lies in overcoming obstacles and difficulties. If there are no
obstacles (for example, when) a person presses a button and a building is
built -- what value will this have? (There is value) when efforts are made
and attempts are pulled together.My dear ones, the perspective of our
sight is not aimed at breaking the sanctions. The perspective of our sight
is to conquer high world peaks. And this is achievable. I swear by God
that only with Azarbayjan is it possible to achieve all high world peaks,
only with Azarbayjan.(Audience applauds)We should take one other's hands,
make attempts and move. Certainly, this does not mean violating the rights
of others, invading their lands or things like that. This m eans expansion
of human culture, justice, love, and kindness in the world. This means
removal of oppression, hatred, and violation from the world. We should
take one another's hands and move with great endeavor. A bright future,
full of pride, awaits the Iranian nation.(Ahmadinezhad in Azari) Long live
Azarbayjan and Iran.(Continues in Persian) I wish you success and
dignity.(Returning to podium) God willing, with God's grace and if we
succeed, in the fourth (provincial trip to East Azarbayjan Province) we
will go to every township, to Bonab, Ajabshir, Maragheh, Malekan, and all
the townships and will express my respect to all of you
closely.(Description of Source: Tabriz Vision of the Islamic Republic of
Iran East Azarbayjan provincial TV in Persian -- state-run provincial
television)

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108) Back to Top
CIA Chief's Statement on Iran's Nuclear Program Rejected
Editorial by Mohammad Safari: "New scenario against Iran's nuclear
program" - Siyasat-e Ruz
Monday July 5, 2010 16:43:35 GMT
Western objections, has entered a new phase. However, numerous inspections
by the Agency (International Atomic Energy Agency -- IAEA) have shown that
these activities are peaceful and (Iran) is not trying to access nuclear
weapons.

It is noteworthy that during the term of President Bush, the American
intelligence agency published a report where it said Iran has no military
nuclear program; Iran even does not have enough materials for this purpose
and if it decided to do so could not achieve it (nuclear weapons) before
2015. Neverthel ess, the head of the CIA recently said that Iran can get
access to the (atomic) bomb within two years.In the current circumstances,
taking into account the hostile policies and Western and American
unilateral anti-Iran sanctions, such announcements could indicate a new
American approach toward the nuclear dossier of the Islamic Republic of
Iran. The West and America know well that nuclear technologies are very
complicated and sensitive. According to the IAEA rules, the nuclear
countries are obliged to cooperate with other member states in accessing
peaceful nuclear technologies. However, no assistance was given to the
Islamic Republic of Iran in this field and whatever has been achieved, is
the outcome of domestic and indigenous knowledge.The CIA's new claim in
the current situation is noteworthy. It should be said that America has
taken the next step in Iran's nuclear issue and went further. In this
manner and on the basis of false information, it tries to attract the
atten tion of global public opinion to Iran's nuclear case; attention that
is based on anxiety! The creation of a new scenario involves using their
media giant and creation of anxieties for the global public opinion.At the
moment there are more important issues in the world that are neglected due
to strong Western control on the global media. For example, one could
point to the West's crisis in Afghanistan, American troops in Iraq, and
especially the Palestinian problem, the Zionist regime's crimes in it
(Palestinian territories) and its (Israel's) nuclear weapons.Instead, the
mentioned issue, i.e. the announcement by the head of the American
intelligence agency has hit the headlines of the Western media. It has
been broadcast all over the world in different languages. Using the
available tools, America tries to complicate the issue of Iran's peaceful
nuclear activities. Thus it could take the measures that it likes to
resolve the issue to its own benefit.(Description of Source: T ehran
Siyasat-e Ruz in Persian -- conservative daily close to Ahmadinezhad;
published by Ali Yusefpur, a member of the Islamic Revolution Devotees'
Society (Jam`iyat-e Isargaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami); www.siasatrooz.ir)

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109) Back to Top
Roundup of Khuzestan Province Friday Prayer Sermons 2 Jul 10 - Vision of
the Islamic Republic of Iran Khuzestan Provincial TV
Monday July 5, 2010 16:41:09 GMT
at 1215 GMT on 2 July carried a roundup of the Friday prayers from the
province.

In the Friday prayer sermons, the Friday imams in Iran's Khuzestan
Province focused on the UN Security Council's recent sanctions and Iran's
new conditions for nuclear talks, the anniversary of the assassination of
Ayatollah Saduqi on 2 July 1982, and the anniversary of the downing of an
Iranian passenger plane by the US Navy in the Persian Gulf on 3 July 1988,
provincial TV reported.The Ahvaz interim Friday imam, Ayatollah Heydari,
has described as logical the conditions put forward by Iran in the talks
on its nuclear program with the G5+1 (five UN Security Council permanent
members plus Germany). He said that these countries have never raised even
the smallest claim regarding the "Zionist regime's atomic bombs" and are
always considering the Iranian nuclear program to be dangerous. He
considered important the presence of neutral countries like Italy, Brazil,
and Turkey in the nuclear talks and said: "In the current situation, Iran
can defend its nuclear rights and the nuclear rights of other
countries."The Ahvaz Kutabdollah Friday Imam , Hojjat ol-Eslam Jaberian,
referred to the recent threats and sanctions against the Iranian nation
and deemed these threats ineffective. He offered condolences over the
anniversary of the assassination of Ayatollah Saduqi on 2 July and the
anniversary of the downing of an Iranian passenger plane by the US Navy in
the Persian Gulf on 3 July. He called on the authorities of the Ahvaz
Kutabdollah district to follow people's problems.The Dezful interim Friday
imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Bikdeli, appreciated people's active participation
in the E'tekaf ceremony and condoled on the anniversary of the martyrdom
of Ayatollah Saduqi.The Mahshahr Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Qoveyshavi,
referred to the "anniversary of the US Navy's criminal attack on the
Iranian passenger aircraft" and said: "This enemy, which is void of any
sign of shame, raises human rights slogans and issues resolutions against
the Islamic Republic of Iran."The Omidiyeh Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam A
bu-Ali, called on the authorities to direct their efforts toward creating
bases for organizing the youth's summer holidays.The Taleqani Friday imam,
Hojjat ol-Eslam Mo'arref, referred to the anniversary of the "US Navy's
criminal attack against an Iranian passenger aircraft" and said: "This is
the black policy of the enemy of our country, the colonialist America."The
Behbahan Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Soleymani, referred to the orders of
the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamene'i, in the meeting with members
of the university Basij scientific boards and said: "The leader's talks
are always lightening our way to the future, and anyone who moves along
another path will be rejected by the free nation."The Susangerd Friday
imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Musavi, has said that "the US's foul crime of
attacking an Iranian aircraft in the Persian Gulf has disclosed the
horrific image of this criminal to the world."The Shadegan Friday imam,
Hojjat o l-Eslam Savari, called on the authorities to double their efforts
in resolving people's problems, including unemployment and paying marriage
loans.The Hamidiyeh interim Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Bozar,
congratulated people on Tax Day and said: "Taxes should be collected
through just methods because those are being spent on eliminating
poverty."The Abadan interim Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam
Mohammadi-Esfahani, called on the authorities to consider better the
youth's demands including employment, housing, and marriage.The
Arvandkenar Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Sharafi, condoled on the
anniversary of the downing of an Iranian passenger plane by the US Navy
and said: "This inhuman act is the smallest part of the crimes of the US
Administration against the Iranian people and other nations."The Cho'ebdeh
Friday imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Mohammadipur, referred to the anniversary of
the downing of an Iranian plane by the US Navy and said: "America has ente
red the Persian Gulf through cheating and intends to seize the interests
and wealth of the Persian Gulf countries."The Sardasht interim Friday
Imam, Hojjat ol-Eslam Nasiri, referred to the anniversary of the downing
of an Iranian passenger plane by the US Navy and said: "America and Israel
are the real terrorists, which lead all the crimes committed in the
world."(Description of Source: Ahvaz Vision of the Islamic Republic of
Iran Khuzestan Provincial TV in Persian - state-run provincial television)

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110) Back to Top
Roundup of Mazandaran Province Friday Prayer Sermons 2 Jul 10 - Vision of
the Islamic Republic of Iran Mazandaran Provi ncial TV
Monday July 5, 2010 08:59:50 GMT
at 1615 GMT on 2 July carried a roundup of the Friday prayer sermons from
the province.

The Friday imams in Iran's Mazandaran Province mainly focused on the
anniversary of the downing of an Iranian passenger plane by the US
flotilla on 3 July 1988, the anniversary of a bomb attack on the Islamic
Republic Party office on 28 June 1981, which caused the death of Ayatollah
Beheshti, a prominent Iranian cleric and head of the Judiciary Branch, and
72 other members of this party, Israel's attack on an aid flotilla bound
for the Gaza Strip, the anniversary of Ayatollah Sadduqi's assassination
on 2 July 1982, Industry and Mine Week, and some local and religious
issues, provincial TV reported.The Friday prayer leader of Sari, Ayatollah
Tabarsi, said the Iranian nation has always overcome all the threats and
sanctions by obeying the supreme leader, stating: "The Iranian nation's
awareness movement has turned into a model for Islamic countries." Further
on, the prayer leader pointed to the downing of an Iranian passenger plane
by the US flotilla on 3 July 1988, adding: "All the enemies' plots and
tricks in Iran are aimed at defeating the revolution and Islam." Then
Ayatollah Tabarsi spoke about Industry and Mine Week, urging the
custodians of this sector to plan for developing mines in the province's
poor regions and creating job opportunities.Friday imam of Chalus Hojjat
ol-Eslam Rasheti said: "America's efforts to promote the recent (UN)
Security Council resolution against the Iranian nation indicates America's
inability to stop the Iranian nation's progress in the global arena."
Further on, he elaborated on Israel's latest attack on a Gaza-bound aid
flotilla, saying: "Israel commits all these crimes with America's
support."The Friday prayer leader of Babol Township's Bandpey G harbi
region, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hoseyni, pointed to the downing of an Iranian
passenger plane by the US flotilla on 3 July 1988, saying: "This move by
America disclosed the anti-humane nature of the White House
leaders."Galugah Friday imam Hojjat ol-Eslam Rostami spoke about the bomb
attack on the Islamic Republic Party office on 28 June 1981, saying:
"During the 7 Tir (28 June) event, the enemies thought that after the
assassination of this honorable martyr (Ayatollah Beheshti) and 72 of his
friends, these divine persons' case will be closed. But 29 years on,
martyr Beheshti has a very high status in the Islamic world, and the
deviators are in the most miserable situation."The Friday prayer leader of
Surak, Hojjat ol-Eslam Rasuli, pointed to the anniversary of Ayatollah
Sadduqi's assassination on 2 July 1982, saying: "The Monafeqin's
(Mojahedin Khalq Organization) move to kill this honorable martyr
indicated their incapability and defeat."(Descri ption of Source: Sari
Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mazandaran Provincial TV in Persian
)

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111) Back to Top
Russia Will Be Able To Inspect Missile Defense Sites In Poland -
Interfax-AVN Online
Monday July 5, 2010 16:47:01 GMT
intervention)

MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Poland will enable Russia to inspect
missile defense sites on its territory, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw
Sikorski said on Saturday, as an addendum to the Polish-U.S. missile
defense agreement had been signed.Rossiya 24 channel broadcasted the
statement.He said they wanted l arger transparency of the missile defense
system, so that Russia made sure that the system was being deployed for
the declared goals. Poland will enable Russia to make inspections, the
minister said.U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed the
defensive nature of the prospective network and the absence of any danger
for Russia. The United States wishes to develop missile defense
cooperation with Russian partners, she said.Rossiya 24 reminded its
viewers that Poland and the United States signed the missile defense
agreement in Washington DC in August 2008. te dp (Our editorial staff can
be reached at eng.editors@interfax.ru)(Description of Source: Moscow
Interfax-AVN Online in English -- Website of news service devoted to
military news and owned by the independent Interfax news agency; URL:
http://www.militarynews.ru)

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112) Back to Top
New Polish president to develop 'stable' relations with Russia - senior
senator - Interfax
Monday July 5, 2010 16:45:40 GMT
Russia - senior senator

New Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will build up stable relations
with Russia, even if he will base his foreign policy exclusively on
protecting Poland's interests, Interfax news agency quoted First Deputy
Speaker of the Federation Council Aleksandr Torshin as saying on 5 July.
Meanwhile, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for
International Affairs, Leonid Slutskiy, said that Russia would continue to
discuss the deployment of US missile defence systems with the new Polish
president, but this would be without any a spect of confrontation."New
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will build up stable relations with
Russia, which will be laid down with an eye to the future," First Deputy
Speaker of the Federation Council Aleksandr Torshin told corporate-owned
news agency Interfax. However, he said that Russia should not delude
itself about Komorowski, as he will develop relations with Russia "based
exclusively on protecting Poland's interests".Torshin said that Poland
should not expect special support from the European Union. "Therefore the
new president will have to concern himself with promoting his own wares in
the East, and primarily in Russia. Any slight disagreements under
Komorowski will not become enlarged and will not become grounds for a
worsening of relations between Moscow and Warsaw," Torshin said.He also
noted that the Polish presidential election had not split the country's
society and elite. "Both candidates, (Jaroslaw) Kaczynski and Ko morowski,
embrace patriotism, and the Poles had to make a choice between blind love
for their homeland and seeing love without any excessive emotions or
destructive rhetoric in defence of their country's interests, including
against Russia," Torshin said.According to an earlier Interfax report, the
first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee for International
Affairs, Leonid Slutskiy, said that Russia would continue to discuss the
deployment of US missile defence elements in Poland with the country's new
president. "We will still have substantial discussions on this issue, but
it can be foreseen that they will not be held in an atmosphere of
confrontation, but rather in search of mutually acceptable decisions," he
said when commenting on the agreement signed with the USA on 3 July on
deploying American missile defence systems in Poland.Slutskiy said that
Komorowski would not oppose the agreement to deploy US missile defence
systems in Poland, however he did not rule out the possibility that under
the new president "this issue will be discussed further within the
country". "I think that new President Komorowski will not largely follow
the motives under which previous President Lech Kaczynski at one time
signed the agreement on missile defence with Washington," Slutskiy
said."Unlike his predecessor who carried out an absolutely pro-American
and consciously negative policy towards Russia, the new head of state
adheres to a fundamentally different position focused primarily on the
European community, as well as on restoring good-neighbourly relations
with our country," Slutskiy added.Deputy Speaker of the State Duma
Aleksandr Babakov said that Russian-Polish relations would be given a new
impulse following the election of Bronislaw Komorowski, state news agency
RIA Novosti reported. "A presidential election is primarily a step
forwards. And it is quite justified to expect a positive developmen t
here," Babakov said."If we remove the ideological component from our
relations, this will benefit not only Russia and Poland, but relations
between Russia and Europe as a whole," Babakov said.(Description of
Source: Moscow Interfax in Russian -- Nonofficial information agency known
for its extensive and detailed reporting on domestic and international
issues)

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113) Back to Top
ROK's Economy 'Still Faces External Uncertainties Despite Recovery'
Updated version: replacing 0100 GMT version with source-supplied 0301 GMT
update, which "UPDATES with details from 3rd para; ADDS KDI's assessment
in last 2 paras"; Yonhap headlin e: "(LEAD) S. Korea's economy still faces
external uncertainties despite recovery" - Yonhap
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:28:51 GMT
(Description of Source: Seoul Yonhap in English -- Semiofficial news
agency of the ROK; URL: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

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114) Back to Top
LG Begins Aggressive Smartphone Offensive - Dong-A Ilbo Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 01:11:27 GMT
(DONG-A ILBO) - LG Electronics, a latecomer in the smartphone market, is
making an aggressive offens ive in the sector.

The company said Monday that it will integrate smartphones to be released
at home and abroad and Android-based Tablet PCs under the brand "Optimus."
It will also release more than four kinds of Android smartphones in the
second half of the year.

The popular and high-end editions of Android smartphones as well as
Android Tablet PCs and Windows Phone 7 smartphones will be sold under the
Optimus name.

LG will introduce this month in the domestic market Optimus Z, which uses
a touch pad instead of a qwerty keyboard used by Optimus Q released last
month.

In September, Optimus One with Google, a globally popular edition, will be
released in Korea, the U.S., Europe and Asia. It has the latest Android
2.2 with tethering, a function which connects a cell phone with a laptop
for the Internet, and its SD card can store applications.

Some 120 cell phone service providers around the world will release
Optimus One.

Ano ther high-end smartphone will be launched in Korea this year. LG said
the yet unnamed model executes applications with a 1GHz high-speed
processor while minimizing energy consumption. Its 3.8-inch display is
larger than that of the iPhone4.

The model can also record high-definition video and provide content such
as pictures, music and movies on TV and PC.

Following the Optimus Chic, LG will introduce this year a smartphone with
the Windows Phone 7 operating system to target consumers who value design
as well as functions.

LG's offensive seems to reflect the company's determination to compete
against Apple and Samsung Electronics in the cell phone sector. With its
late entry into the field, LG saw its share of the domestic market sharply
drop from 33 percent in June last year to 21 percent this month.

LG's share of the global market decreased from 10.9 percent in the third
quarter last year to 9.3 percent in the first quarter this year.

(Des cription of Source: Seoul Dong-A Ilbo Online in English -- English
website carrying English summaries and full translation of vernacular hard
copy items of the second-oldest major ROK daily Dong-A Ilbo, which is
conservative in editorial orientation -- generally pro-US, anti-North
Korea; URL: http://english.donga.com)

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115) Back to Top
Lebanon Mourns Loss of Sayyed Fadlallah
"Lebanon Mourns Loss of Sayyed Fadlallah" -- The Daily Star Headline - The
Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:11:51 GMT
Monday, July 05, 2010

BEIRUT: Lebanon-s Gra nd Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah,one
of Shiite Islam-s highest religious authorities, died in a Beiruthospital
on Sunday, his family said.Fadlallah, who was 74, had a wide following
beyond Lebanon-s Shiites,extending to Central Asia and the Gulf.He had
been too frail to deliver his regular Friday prayers sermon for
severalweeks, and had been in hospital since Friday suffering from
internal bleeding.Fadlallah is to be buried Tuesday at southern Beirut-s
Hassanein Mosquefollowing the funeral, his office said, adding that a
convoy would set off fromthe cleric-s home in the Haret Hreik suburb at
1:30 pm.Crowds gathered at the Hassanein Mosque to pay condolences, and
Hizbullah saidit would mark his death with three days of mourning.Black
banners hung outside mosques in Shiite areas of south Lebanon and
theeastern Bekaa Valley, as well as at Fadlallah-s many
charitableinstitutions.A top authority of Shiite Islam revered in Lebanon
and the region, includinghis native Iraq, Fadlallah was a 'sayyed' to
denote direct lineagewith the Prophet Mohammad and known for his moderate
social views.'Sayyed Fadlallah has died this morning,' senior aide
AyatollahAbdullah al-Ghurayfi told a news conference, flanked by the late
cleric-sson, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah.'The father, the leader, the marja
(religious authority), the guide, thehuman being is gone,' Ghurayfi
said.Hizbullah-s Al-Manar television interrupted its regular broadcasts
toannounce the--turn to page 2--from page 1sayyed-s death, posting a
picture of the black-turbanned cleric andairing Koranic verses. The group
urged supporters to turn out in huge numbersfor the funeral ceremony, as
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah hailedFadlallah as a 'father and
guide.''He was a merciful father and a wise guide ... ... who taught us
tosupport dialogue, reject injustice and resist (Israeli)
occupation,'Nasrallah said in a statement.Ghurayfi described the Shiite
cleric as 'the brains behind the launch ofthe resistance' against Israel -
including Hizbullah-scampaign against Israel-s occupation of Arab land.'I
will only rest when the Zionist entity falls,' Fadlallah oncesaid,
according to Ghurayfi.News of Fadlallah-s death prompted hundreds of
followers to rush to theHassanein mosque where family and associates were
receiving condolences in asomber mood as officials eulogized him.Prime
Minister Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, said Fadlallah 'contributedto the
consolidation of the values of right and justice to resistinjustice.'' ...
... He represented a voice of moderation and an advocate of unityamong the
Lebanese in particular and Muslims in general.'Condolences also poured in
from abroad.The provincial council of the holy Iraqi city of Najaf where
Fadlallah was bornin 1935 said: 'This loss is a catastrophe. He defended
Muslim unitythrough his work and his ideas.'Iraq-s firebrand anti-US
cleric Moqtada Sadr called on supporters in Iraqto observe three days of
mourning for F adlallah.Arab League chief Amr Mussa sent condolences
praising 'patriotism'of Fadlallah, who he said contributed to efforts to
make multi-confessionalLebanon 'a model of coexistence.'Fadlallah held
particular sway with the Dawa Party of Iraqi Prime MinisterNouri
al-Maliki, which he helped to found in 1957.His followers revered him for
his moderate social views, openness andpragmatism. Fadlallah issued
religious edicts forbidding female circumcisionand saying women could hit
abusive husbands.Despite his criticism of the US, Fadlallah was also quick
to denounce theSeptember 11, 2001, attacks on the United States which
killed some 3,000 people.Fadlallah survived several assassination
attempts, including a 1985 car bombwhich killed 80 people in south Beirut.
US news reports said the attack wascarried out by an US-trained Lebanese
unit after attacks on American targets inLebanon.He distanced himself from
the abduction of Westerners by Islamic militantgroups in Lebanon during
the 1980s, saying he was against kidnappings, andrepeatedly called for
their release.Fadlallah was born in 1935 in the Iraqi Shiite city of
Najaf, where he studiedbefore moving to Lebanon in 1966. - Agencies , with
The Daily Star(Description of Source: Beirut The Daily Star Online in
English -- Website of the independent daily, The Daily Star; URL:
http://dailystar.com.lb)

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116) Back to Top
Us Transport Secretary Backs High-Speed Railway
"Us Transport Secretary Backs High-Speed Railway" -- The Daily Star
Headline - The Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:16:03 GMT
Monday, July 05, 2010

Simona SikimicDaily Star staffBEIRUT: A high-speed national rail network
is being advanced by leadinggovernment figures as the solution to
Lebanon-s enduring congestioncrisis, US Transport Secretary Ray LaHood
told reporters Friday on theinaugural part of his three-day visit.LaHood -
a frequent visitor to the region and the only Arab-Americanmember of
President Barack Obama-s Cabinet - met with PresidentMichel Sleiman on
Friday and Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday to discusscooperation on
transportation and road safety.'We know that rail transportation would
ease congestion in the countryand so we are going to continue to work with
(Sleiman and Hariri) as we makeour plans for rail transportation,' LaHood
said. 'The fact that theprime minister and president talked to me about
transportation issues andsafety, I think, shows (that) there should be a
big ray of hope,' he said.The question of how to ease traffic congestion
is o ne of the biggestinfrastructure challenges facing the country. It is
thought that only some 10percent of Lebanese use public transport, while
the most recent statistics- last available for 2004 - show that Lebanon
has the world-ssecond-highest person-car ratio, falling only behind the
US.The national rail system, which runs along the coast and connects
Lebanon withSyria, has not functioned since the start of the 1975-90 Civil
War and vaststretches of track are in a state of irreversible
disrepair.LaHood has begun advising the government on how to optimize
private-publicpartnerships which would see foreign engineering firms
specialized inhigh-speed rail collaborate with the government on
jointinfrastructure-building projects.The expansion of Rafik Hariri
International Airport and Kleyate Airport,alongside the ongoing renovation
of Tripoli port, are also seen as vitalmeasures for easing congestion and
featured prominently in LaHood-sdiscussions with transport minister, Ghazi
A ridi.The pair met Friday and again Saturday when they toured
construction worksunder way at Beirut port.The introduction of a passenger
water-taxi service was not discussed, LaHoodexplained.While promising to
cooperate on transportation issues, the United States hasfew concrete
plans to help Lebanon address the challenges.'If you read any of the press
accounts you will know that we have verylimited resources in the US right
now,' LaHood said. 'We-rehaving trouble finding the money to finance our
own transportationissues.'A $50,000 US Agency for International
Development (USAID) grant was issuedFriday to Lebanese NGO Kunhadi, which
runs road safety awareness campaignstackling issues of seatbelt use as
well as drunk and careless drivingpractices, such as cell phone use while
motoring.'Safety has to become one of the top priorities for the country
ifautomobile accidents and injuries can be prevented,' he said.'Seatbelts
save lives.'We-re going to work very closely with the inte rior minister,
ZiyadBaroud, on the best practices in all three areas, taking what we have
done andwhat has been successful.'Traffic accidents are thought to be the
number one cause of death among theyoung in Lebanon, with government
statistics showing that 80 percent ofpassengers, involved in fatal car
accidents in 2008, were not wearing seatbelts.Declining to comment about
the allegations of Scud missile transfers from Syriato Hizbullah, LaHood
went on to stress his close relationship with the Lebanesegovernment.'We
believe in the sovereignty of Lebanon and we know that it is veryimportant
that we continue to have a very strong relationship,' he said.'I think
that Lebanon is a very, very strong friend of the United Statesand it
represents the kind of friendship that the US really
cherishes.'(Description of Source: Beirut The Daily Star Online in English
-- Website of the independent daily, The Daily Star; URL:
http://dailystar.com.lb)

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117) Back to Top
Ban: Unifil Facing Surge in Tensions Near Border
"Ban: Unifil Facing Surge in Tensions Near Border" -- The Daily Star
Headline - The Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:11:59 GMT
Saturday, July 03, 2010

Patrick GaleyDaily Star staffBEIRUT: South Lebanon has seen a sharp rise
in tensions as peacekeeping forcesstruggle to placate flare-ups between
residents and Israeli Army patrols,according United Nations Secretary Ban
Ki-Moon.The situation was exacerbated by recent Israeli accusations that
Hizbullah hadreceived Scud missiles from Syria, Ban said, reiteratin g
earlier UN statementsthat it had found no evidence to back the
claims.Ban-s interim report on the implementation of Security Council
Resolution1701, seen Friday by The Daily Star, urged the Lebanese and
Israel governmentsto work harder to ensure that the fragile peace which
has endured since 2006doesn-t descend into fresh hostilities.'(A)
perceptible increase in tension between the parties was recordedduring the
reporting period,' he said. 'This raised the specter ofa miscalculation by
either party leading to a resumption of hostilities, withpotentially
devastating consequences for Lebanon and the region.'The UN Special
Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams, commenting on thereport, said
that action was needed in order to avert a new crisis.'We should work hard
to prevent any recurrence of the problems of thepast week and that all
parties must be involved in trying to defuse thesetensions,' Williams told
reporters after meeting with Speaker Nabih Berrion FridayBan also called
on Lebanese security forces to ensure that the movement of theUnited
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) not be impeded in its
mandatedarea south of the Litani River. Several recent incidents have seen
forcepatrols accosted by angry locals.'I am concerned by the incidents
during the reporting period--turn to page 2--from page 1that impeded
UNIFIL-s freedom of movement and call on the Lebanese ArmedForces to
ensure that UNIFIL is accorded full freedom of movement within itsarea of
operations,' Ban said.This week-s attack on a UNIFIL patrol near the
village of Khirbet Silm,in which several peacekeepers were injured by
stones hurled by villagers, didnot make the final report, which took into
account incidents which occurredover the past six months.Williams, for his
part, said troop contributing countries were 'quiteconcerned' over recent
animosity toward UNIFIL patrols.'We must insist that the freedom of
movement of UNIFIL is fullyrespected. UNIFIL-s exercise in th e area was
carried out as part of itsnormal operations and with full respect of its
mandate, and indeed the LAFassisted UNIFIL in defusing tensions,' he
said.Several other incidents were detailed, including a list of violations
of theBlue Line - the boundary of Israeli military withdrawal from
Lebanon- which Ban claimed increased the likelihood of renewed
aggression.'These violations reinforce the need for continued progress in
visiblymarking the Blue Line,' Ban said.'The inherent risk of escalating
the security situation that theseincidents carry cannot be overstated,' he
added.Resolution 1701 was drafted to end Israel-s 2006 July War against
Lebanonand stipulates, along with previous Security Council rulings, that
no armsshould exist in Lebanon outside of state control.Ban cited the
National Dialogue sessions, which were formulated to provideLebanon with a
cohesive defense strategy, but have been delayed repeatedly,following
disagreement over Hizbullah-s arsenal.'It remain s my firm conviction that
the disarmament of Hizbullah andother militias should be achieved through
a Lebanese-led politicalprocess,' he said.The UN chief also tackled the
issue of Israeli allegations that Hizbullah hadreceived long-range Scud
missiles from Syria, stressing that no proof existedof such transfers.'To
date, UNIFIL has neither been provided with, nor found, evidence ofthe
unauthorized transfer of arms into its area of operations,' Ban
said.Israeli President Shimon Peres alleged that Hizbullah had received
the missilesacross Lebanon-s porous border with Syria. United States and
UNrepresentatives swiftly backed the Israeli claims, while Hizbullah
SecretaryGeneral Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah refused to confirm or deny the
rumors.Ban was critical of the destabilizing effect of uncorroborated
accusations.'The allegations concerning the Scud missiles greatly
increased tensionsbetween Israel, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic
during the reportingperiod,' he said. 'Rhet oric escalated rapidly,
creating aperception in the public that a resumption of conflict was
imminent.'On the long-standing issue of the northern part of Ghajar
village, Ban stressedthat Israel was obliged to withdraw its presence,
although no tangible progresswas made in this regard.'Discussions have
intensified recently, with a view to reaching aconclusion on this
long-standing issue without further delay,' Bansaid.(Description of
Source: Beirut The Daily Star Online in English -- Website of the
independent daily, The Daily Star; URL: http://dailystar.com.lb)

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118) Back to Top
What Should Worry US More, Inflation Or Deflation?
"What Should Worry US More, Inflation Or Deflation?" -- The Daily Star
Headline - The Daily Star Online
Monday July 5, 2010 05:11:56 GMT
Monday, July 05, 2010

The investors that I talk to these days are not sure whether to worry
moreabout future inflation in the United States or about future deflation.
The goodnews is that the answer - for at least the next few years - is
thatinvestors should worry about 'neither.'America-s high rate of
unemployment and the low rates of capacityutilization imply that there is
little upward pressure on wages and prices inthe US. And the recent rise
in the value of the dollar relative to the euro andthe British pound helps
by reducing import costs.Those who emphasize the risk of inflation often
point to America-senormous budget deficit. The Congressional Budget Office
projects that thecountry-s fiscal deficit will average 5 percent of GDP
for the rest oft he decade, driving government debt to 90 percent of GDP,
from less than 60percent of GDP in 2009. While those large fiscal deficits
will be a majorproblem for the US economy if nothing is done to bring them
down, they need notbe inflationary.Sustained budget deficits crowd out
private investment, push up long-term realinterest rates, and increase the
burden on future taxpayers. But they do notcause inflation unless they
lead to excess demand for goods and labor. The lasttime the US faced large
budget deficits, in the early 1980s, inflation declinedsharply because of
a tight monetary policy. Both Europe and Japan now havelarge fiscal
deficits and low inflation.The inflation pessimists worry that the
government will actually choose apolicy of faster price growth to reduce
the real value of the government debt.But such a strategy can work only in
countries where the duration of thegovernment-s debt is long and the
interest rate on that debt is fixed.That is because an increase in the
inflation rate causes interest rates on newdebt to rise by an equal
amount. The resulting higher interest payments add tothe national debt,
offsetting the erosion of the real value of the existingdebt caused by the
higher inflation.In the current situation, the US cannot reduce the real
value of its governmentdebt significantly by indulging in a bout of
inflation, because the averagematurity on existing debt is very short -
only about four years. And theprojected fiscal deficits imply that the
additional debt that will be issuedduring the next decade will be as large
as the total stock of debt today. Soraising inflation is no cure for the
government-s current debt or futuredeficits.Those who worry about
deflation note that the US consumer price index has notincreased at all in
the past three months. Why won-t that continue andfeed on itself - as it
has in Japan - as consumers delay spendingin anticipation of even lower
prices in the future? And doesn-tJapan-s persiste nt deflation since the
early 1990s also show that, onceit begins, deflation cannot be reversed by
a policy of easy money or fiscaldeficits?But the recent weakness in US
prices is very different from the situation thatprevails in Japan. Zero
inflation for the past three months has been a one-timeevent driven by the
fall in energy prices. The other broad components of theconsumer price
index have increased in recent months, and the consumer priceindex is up
about two percentage points over the past 12 months.Moreover, surveys of
consumer expectations show that US households expectprices to rise at more
than 2 percent in both the coming year and the moredistant future. That
expected inflation rate is consistent with the differencein interest rates
between ordinary US government bonds and Treasury InflationProtected
Securities. With such expectations, consumers have no reason to putoff
purchases.A second reason for relatively low inflation in recent years has
been atemporary fal l in the cost of production. As firms shed workers
during theeconomic downturn, output fell more slowly. The resulting rise
in output perworker, together with slow wage growth, reduced unit labor
costs. That processis now coming to an end as employment rises.So the good
news is that the possibility of significant inflation or deflationduring
the next few years is low on the list of economic risks faced by the
USeconomy and by financial investors.But, while inflation is very likely
to remain low for the next few years, I ampuzzled that bond prices show
that investors apparently expect inflation toremain low for 10 years and
beyond, and that they also do not require higherinterest rates as
compensation for the risk that the fiscal deficit will causereal interest
rates to rise in the future.Martin Feldstein, a professor of economics at
Harvard University, was chairmanof President Ronald Reagan-s Council of
Economic Advisors and presidentof the National Bureau for Economic Resea
rch. THE DAILY STAR publishes thiscommentary in collaboration with Project
Syndicate (c)(www.project-syndicate.org).(Description of Source: Beirut
The Daily Star Online in English -- Website of the independent daily, The
Daily Star; URL: http://dailystar.com.lb)

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119) Back to Top
CAR Calls on United States To Help 'Neutralize' LRA Rebels - AFP (World
Service)
Monday July 5, 2010 16:43:17 GMT
(Description of Source: Paris AFP (World Service) in English -- world news
service of the independent French news agency Agence France Presse)

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120) Back to Top
Politicians Hire US Lobbyists To Destroy Country's Reputation
Commentary by Kafaedam: "Hiring Foreign Lobbyists To Harm One's Own
Country?" - Krungthep Thurakit
Monday July 5, 2010 06:03:29 GMT
The United States can claim that they were not the one to start the issue
in the first place. It was we who went to tell them that the other side
has been doing evils to Thailand. Therefore no one should point fingers at
them for "interfering" with the internal affairs of Thailand.

Thaksin had once said "the UN is not my father." This time so meone may
say "the United States is not the father" of the Thai people.

Today, Nopphadon Patthama, on behalf of Thaksin Chinnawat, is now in
Washington to lobby with some US senators to condemn the Thai Government
and issue a statement or a kind of resolution at the level of the
commission on foreign relations describing how bad the situation in
Thailand is.

According to news reports, Thaksin has instructed Nopphadon to hire a US
lobbyist named Ed Rogers from the law firm of former US Secretary of State
James Baker to help him in his mission to attack the Thai Government.

Prior to Nopphadon's arrival in the United States, Prime Minister Aphisit
Wetchachiwa has dispatched Kiat Sitthi-amon as a "special envoy" to lobby
with US senators, high-level officials in the White House, and the US
State Department and explain to them the Thai Government's position on
this issue.

In this connection, SirichoSopha, Democrat MP and a close aid e to Prime
Minister Aphisit, told reporters that the government is considering hiring
lobbyists to counterattack the US lobbyists hired by Thaksin. It is trying
to figure out if it is "worthy" to spend people's taxed money for this
kind of issues.

The reports also say that Nopphadon has been seeking meetings with some
senators who have influential role in shaping US foreign policy like John
Kerry, Joe Lieberman, Howard Burman, and Richard Lucas. He has reportedly
had an appointment with Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to tell
him his stories against the Thai Government.

If you are one the above mentioned US senators, what will you think about
Thailand?

If you are lobbyists, you will be paid to work for someone. If you are
sane and a responsible politician, you must be able to see how lousy Thai
politicians are. This is because they cannot solve problems in their own
country and have to look for paid help from outsiders.

In fac t, the Thai Embassy in Washington DC and the US Embassy in Bangkok
have been gathering information about the situation in Thailand for
reporting to their respective governments and the governments of the host
countries.

There is no need to hire lobbyists unless you want to "make an issue" out
of something or intend to spin (preceding word rendered in English) an
issue for personal profit. You must always remember that lobbyists work
because they are paid. They are not the ones who provide facts to the
general public to maintain correctness and legitimacy. You must also
remember that lobbyists do not work for the interest of any country. They
only work for the people who pay their wages.

Therefore, there is no need whatsoever for the Thai Government to use
people's taxed money to hire foreign lobbyists to persuade people in
foreign countries to believe in the information which has been "spinned"
for a purpose.

It is pathetic to see Tha is trying to approach US politicians and use
them as tools against their opponents, who are also fellow countrymen. In
so doing, they have allowed foreign interference in the internal affairs
of the country and let foreigners take the opportunity while the country
is weak to exploit Thais in the most shameful manner.

The Thai people must have been brainless in hiring lobbyists to destroy
the reputation and credibility of their own country.

(Description of Source: Bangkok Krungthep Thurakit in Thai -- Sister daily
publication of the English-language The Nation providing good coverage,
analyses of economic and political issues with editorials, commentaries
strongly critical of former Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat, his Phuea
Thai Party and the red shirts. Owned by Nation Multimedia Group. Audited
circulation of 105,000 as of 2009.)

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121) Back to Top
JFJB Talks With Experts of Beijing MR Survey, Map Center on '3S' Tech
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. -
Jiefangjun Bao Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:46:31 GMT
(Description of Source: Beijing Jiefangjun Bao Online in Chinese --
Website of the daily newspaper of the Central Military Commission of the
People's Liberation Army (PLA), reporting on a wide range of military
affairs; URL: http://www.chinamil.com.cn/)Attachments:jf0617k.pdf

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122) Back to Top
UFO in Xinjiang Is US-launched Intercontinental Missile: PRC Astronomer
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. - Hsin
Pao (Hong Kong Economic Journal)
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:57:10 GMT
(Description of Source: Hong Kong Hsin Pao (Hong Kong Economic Journal) in
Chinese -- a well-respected non-PRC-owned daily newspaper that focuses on
PRC and Hong Kong economic and political issues)Attachments:hp0706.pdf

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123) Back to Top
China Places Strategic Focus on Western Territory
To request additional processing, call OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202)
338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735; or email: oscinfo@rccb.osis.gov. - Ming
Pao
Tuesday July 6, 2010 03:57:09 GMT
(Description of Source: Hong Kong Ming Pao in Chinese -- Well-respected,
non-PRC-owned daily newspaper; editorial line tends to be moderately
critical of Beijing and supportive of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures;
aimed at educated readership)Attachments:mp0706.pdf

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124) Back to Top
Xinhua 'Interview': Human Genome Project Will Live up To Its Potential:
NIH Director
Xinhua "Interview": "Human Genome Project Will Live up To Its Potential:
NIH Director" - Xinhua
Monday July 5, 2010 21:30:49 GMT
By Xinhua writer Ren Haijun

WASHINGTON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A decade after the historic completion of
the "book of life" -- the first blueprint of human DNA, the benefits of
the Human Genome Project still lie ahead. However, Francis Collins,
director of the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), is "confident"
the project will live up to its potential."The First Law of Technology
states that a truly transformational discovery will always have its
immediate consequences overestimated -- and its long-term conseq uences,
underestimated. That certainly is turning out to be true from what we are
learning about the human genome sequence!" Collins told Xinhua in an
interview."The greatest significance of the Human Genome Project is the
door that it has opened into the vast and complex landscape of human
biology," Collins said. "Exploring this landscape in a way that benefits
human health will require creative thinking and hard work by researchers
in the United States, China, and everywhere else around the
globe."Collins, noted for his leadership of the project, thought having
the complete sequence of the human genome is similar to having all the
pages of an instruction manual needed to make the human body."Thanks to
the sequencing of the human genome, we have much more powerful tools to
study the role that genetic factors play in more complex diseases, such as
cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and even in susceptibility to
infectious diseases, such as acq uired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),"
he said. "Genomic sequencing has facilitated the diagnosis of genetic
conditions, ranging from very rare to quite common. It is shedding new
light on the process of aging and providing tantalizing clues to the
secrets of longevity. If we fully understand this instruction manual, it
could become the most powerful textbook of medicine imaginable!"The famous
U.S. physician-geneticist thought cancer is one category of disease in
which he expects genomic research to have a major impact in the near
future.Cancer is caused by changes in a cell's genome. However, the
pattern of these genomic changes varies among different types of cancer --
and even among subsets of patients with the same cancer. So, it is
important to produce genomic classification systems for many types and
subtypes of cancer.In the United States, the NIH is supporting an effort
to build comprehensive catalogs of the key genomic changes in 20 major
types and subtypes of cancer. This project, called The Cancer Genome
Atlas, is working collaboratively with researchers in China and elsewhere
around the world through the International Cancer Genome Consortium. The
information generated by such research is already proving useful in
developing new cancer therapies, as well as in matching individual cancer
patients with the therapies most likely to work for them.However, Collins
warned that amid all the excitement over the promise of genomics research,
we need to remember that genes do not operate in a vacuum. There are other
important factors that influence people's risk of developing most common
diseases. These factors include smoking, diet, exercise, and exposure to
pollution."Unless we as humans dramatically change our lifestyles and our
environment, I do not see a future in which all common diseases are
completely prevented or eradicated," he said.Collins, a supporter of free
access to human genome sequencing data, thoug ht human genetic information
should be kept in the public domain to allow researchers to analyze it and
to give members of the public fair access to medical treatments."From the
outset, the Human Genome Project and the international endeavors that
built upon its foundation, such as the International HapMap Project and
1,000 Genomes Project, have made all their data rapidly available to
scientists around the globe," he said. "In many ways, this is one of the
most significant legacies of the Human Genome Project -- and one that
gives me hope that worldwide research community will come up with
innovative ways to use this treasure trove of information to fight
disease."Collins thought there are two major challenges associated with
the application of sequencing technologies. The first is lowering the cost
of DNA sequencing. "We've made dramatic progress in that area over the
past 10 years. The cost of sequencing the first human genome was about 400
millio n dollars. Today, the cost of sequencing one genome is about 9,500
dollars, and we expect that cost to fall to 1,000 dollars or less within
the next four or five years."The second, perhaps even bigger, challenge is
figuring out how to analyze the tidal wave of data being generated by
genomic sequencing and then translate those findings in ways that benefit
patients in the clinic. However, "this is a challenge that can be met if
we pull together the best minds in biology, medicine, statistics, and
computer science."Collins also thought the completion of the human genome
sequence was just the beginning of the effort to understand how all the
parts of the genome work together to contribute to health and
disease."Genomic research is not a sprint, it is a marathon that requires
sustained commitment over a long period of time to yield maximum success,"
he said.(Description of Source: Beijing Xinhua in English -- China's
official news service for English-la nguage audiences (New China News
Agency))

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125) Back to Top
Auditing Chamber Spokesman Critical of Officer Bonuses at MoD Conference
Article by Vladimir Ivanov under rubric "Realities": "They Will Minimize
Contract Personnel" - Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye Online
Tuesday July 6, 2010 04:56:12 GMT
An MO (Defense Ministry) conference was held in Moscow last Wednesday
devoted to urgent problems of forming the RF Armed Forces new look.
Numerous issues of RF Armed Forces organizational development were raised.
A large number of "Ar bat Military District" initiatives received
unflattering assessments.

Speaking at this conference, RF Accounting Chamber Auditor Nikolay
Tabachkov stated that the Defense Ministry order on paying monetary
bonuses to officers had a negative impact on relations among servicemen.

"The adoption of Defense Minister Orders Nos 400 and 400A (the first was
signed on 2 August 2008 and the second on 17 November 2009 -- NVO
(Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye )) on awarding money intensified the
imbalance in amounts of officers' pay and allowances," the specialist
announced, and added that up to now the military department leadership has
not eliminated the unjustified disproportions in pay and allowances of
military personnel serving in the central apparatus and in the troops,
which fluctuate within very considerable limits.

In accordance with the above orders of the head of the Defense Ministry,
bonuses of from R35,000 to R150,000 are to be paid mont hly to the best
officers and generals depending on years served, on the combat arms in
which they serve, and on positions held. In the period 2009-2011 the RF
Defense Ministry planned to allocate around R100 billion for officer bonus
payments, but only a small number of persons know how much money was in
fact found to carry out this measure.

In Tabachkov's opinion, it is this imbalance in pay for military work that
is the main reason why officers submit requests for discharge from service
and it has an extremely negative impact on young people's desire to put on
a military uniform and serve the Motherland 24 hours a day. The expert
noted that the level of pay and allowances of a lieutenant in the troops
today is not a bit above the indicator of average monthly wages for the
country.

He informed conferees that as a result of an RF SP (Accounting Chamber)
inspection of Volga-Ural Military District, a very negative fact was
identified: "Around 2,000 young o fficers from lieutenant to captain with
up to 10 years in service had taken a voluntary discharge from the Armed
Forces." Their decision was dictated by the fact that the extremely low
pay does not permit them to support their near and dear ones worthily.

Tabachkov also noted that the very "low level of pay of civilian personnel
in the Armed Forces also is one reason for the extreme difficulty in
attracting highly proficient specialists for work in Defense Ministry
military units and organizations." SP specialists determined that "over 40
of the 282 civilian personnel positions cannot be filled because the
average pay in these positions is less than R10,000."

The auditor also noted that the system of qualifying increments in effect
in the Defense Ministry today does not in any way contribute to the desire
of officers and soldiers to increase their training level. "We talk about
a professional Army, but a proficiency rating is th e measure of this
professionalism. Beginning with privates and NCO's and ending with
officers, though, the personnel have too little motivation to raise their
professional proficiency. From R120 to R460 additional payment for a
proficiency rating is very small and does not motivate servicemen to sit
at simulators and study equipment in order to receive more worthy
remuneration," the SP representative said.

Tabachkov also did not forget to touch on t he military retiree issue,
which has been a subject of discussion for many years now. He did not
elaborate on the fact that veterans had been mercilessly and very
cynically deceived with the food ration allowance, that up to 2012 no one
plans to raise the pension for people who for several decades went "on
detail every other day," as it is customary to say in the Army, that the
notorious housing issue has not been resolved, and so on. According to the
auditor, around 100 various increments are in effect in the Armed Forces
today for conditions of performing military service, which do not in any
way affect an increase of pensions for former servicemen who do not eke
out a very decent existence today, inasmuch as they were deprived of many
benefits; and in the diagnostic and treatment centers where they go to
have their pains treated there is an absence not only of necessary
medicines, but even of standard medical records with physicians' findings
and with an enumeration of their illnesses and analyses to replace the
previous outrageously swollen conduct sheets. The Arbat Categorically
Disagrees

Military department bureaucrats instantaneously reacted to the criticism
of them and expressed complete disagreement with the Accounting Chamber
assessments of their innovations. On the day after the conference and the
presentation by Tabachkov, Chief of RF Defense Ministry Press Service and
Information Directorate Colonel Aleksey Kuznetsov stated to journalists
that conclusio ns of SB experts do not conform to reality. "An analysis of
the one and one-half year's application of this order permits concluding
its advisability and effectiveness," the colonel said.

"The multitiered system of choosing the best officers, tried out for one
and one-half years, precludes subjectivism in this matter. The most worthy
servicemen are recommended for bonus payments, which in turn imposes added
responsibility on officers in their performance of official duties," the
head of the Information Directorate emphasized, and he expressed his
opinion that officer personnel support the Defense Ministry leadership in
this matter.

But a Defense Ministry representative told the NVO analyst that the bulk
of officers disagree entirely with the practice introduced for dividing
servicemen into "best and worst." "The very fact that this order appeared
is proof of the obvious fact that officers' pay and allowances remain at
an ex tremely low level. The pay for servicemen's work has to be increased
severalfold, but there is no money for this in the military budget. That
is why the Defense Ministry decided to go over to bonuses. They found only
R25 billion for this in 2009.

"That approach basically contains many biases and much subjectivism. The
right to choose candidates for bonus awards has been granted to commanders
as a formality, but their choice must be confirmed by officer meetings. In
practice, however, all this functions very poorly. Army collectives are
too complex and the authority of higher-ups in them is inordinately great.
It has long been known that commanders' preferences often do not exactly
conform to reality. In the Great Patriotic War the adjutants and orderlies
of major commanders far from the front line all went around with
decorations. In the trenches they managed to earn the very same thing only
with much blood. This state of affairs has changed little in t he Army in
our days.

"I believe officers must have an appropriate level of professional
training, take qualifying exams, show that they are capable of performing
their assigned missions in exercises with quality, and for this receive
strictly prescribed rates of pay. If you conform to your position, then
serve on, but if not, you must be discharged. What kind of talk can there
be in the Army about any bonuses for performing military duty? This is a
very faulty practice that exists nowhere in the world. It turns out that
if a superior is sympathetic towa rd any of his subordinates, he always
will find grounds to encourage them with the ruble, but if there is no
such benevolence, you will not be receiving anything.

"Increments for conditions of service are an entirely different matter.
Some officers risk their health more, others less, and for this you indeed
must pay additionally depending on the degree of risk. A strict system of
benefits for di fficult conditions of service has been worked out in
armies of western countries, and in the United States above all. For
example, each crew member of a strategic bomber loses an average of from 4
to 5 kilograms during alert duty, which is not at all beneficial for
health, and for this it is indeed necessary to pay. But it is absurd to
give a bonus for the fact that a bomber made a precise approach to a given
target and executed excellent bombing. Its crew simply is obligated to
perform the assigned mission, inasmuch as it was trained specifically for
this, and specifically this is written in its functional duties," the
specialist concluded. He also stressed that bonus payments for service
only separate Armed Forces command personnel, who even so are beyond
worthy material well-being today, and officers continue to be forced to
seek additional sources of earnings to feed their wives and children.

"If things continue that way, then in the very near future the defense
minister himself together with his assistants and generals will have to
rush into assaults in hot spots," the expert remarked morosely. Contract
Service Is Almost Invisible

The Accounting Chamber representative criticized more than just the bonus
system conceived by the current Defense Ministry leadership. He informed
those present at the conference that the program for manning the Army on a
contract basis has failed completely.

"It failed with a bang. This indeed is so. That which was in fact
initially conceived and set as a goal of the federal targeted program,
those indicators were not fulfilled, and particularly the social
component. That is, housing was not constructed for contract personnel and
places for relaxation and entertainment were not built. Athletic buildings
and structures were not built, which naturally immediately lowered the
attractiveness of contract military service. But the low pay is the most
important thing,& quot; Tabachkov said, referring to results of the
comprehensive SP audit of this program.

True, Deputy RF Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov stated that his department
never had, nor does it have, plans to convert the Russian Armed Forces
completely to contract. He noted that the reason for this not only is how
the military budget would grow inordinately in this case. "As a matter of
fact there are very many problematic issues. And it is not by chance that
all world armies follow a different path. All armies with very rare
exception follow the path of a mixed principle of manning the Army. We too
adhere to this idea," the deputy minister announced. He also noted that
specifically the following principle of recruitment will exist in the
Russian Army: it will have both contract servicemen and conscripted
servicemen. "Our Army will have civilian representatives, as always has
been the case. The entire question is what the ratio of conscripts and
contr act personnel will be," Pankov noted.

Somewhat earlier Chief of General Staff General of the Army Nikolay
Makarov also said that no one ever planned to create a totally contract
Army in Russia. "And we are not going over to a contract basis. Very many
mistakes were made, and the task of building a professional army that was
set was not accomplished. Therefore the decision was made that conscripted
service must remain," he stated.

One of the Defense Ministry spokesmen recently informed journalists that a
process presently is under way in the Armed Forces for reducing contract
servicemen holding positions that do not determine the combat readiness of
units and subunits. According to him, this process is to end on 1 July of
this year and vacated slots will be occupied by civilian specialists and
conscripted servicemen. Only fighting vehicle commanders, drivers,
driver-operators, and a number of other specialists who directly determine
combat re adiness of military contingents will remain in contract
positions.

(Description of Source: Moscow Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye Online in
Russian -- Website of weekly military newspaper published by Remchukov's
Nezavisimaya Gazeta; URL: http://nvo.ng.ru/)

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source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

126) Back to Top
Duma To Hold Parliamentary Hearings On New START Treaty - ITAR-TASS
Monday July 5, 2010 23:39:40 GMT
intervention)

MOSCOW, July 6 (Itar-Tass) - The State Duma lower house of the Russian
parliament is to hold parliamentary hearings here on Tuesday on the new
Russian-American treaty on measures for reduction and limitation of
strategic offensive arms (START).Apart from MPs, high-level officials of
the Russian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense will also take part
in the discussion of the subject.Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the
House committee on international affairs, referred to the START treaty as
a highly qualitative document. "The House members bear no grudges against
it," Kosachyov emphasized. "However, during the previous discussions we
got some questions that require answers. We requested certain documents
and we were given a promise that those will be provided".At the end of
May, President Dmitry Medvedev referred the new START treaty to the State
Duma for (consideration and subsequent) ratification. The President called
on the House members "to treat the document attentively" and "carry out a
synchronous ratification". "The Treaty is a combination of political
forces and will. The refore it is essential to ratify it synchronously so
as to achieve greater mutual trust," the Head of State said.The new START
treaty was signed by the leaders of Russia and the United States, Dmitry
Medvedev and Barack Obama, in Prague on April 8. The document envisions a
reduction of the nuclear arsenals of the two countries by about one-third
and replaces the START -1 dated July 31, 1991, which had expired in
December 2009. The validity of the new Treaty is ten years.The new START
treaty is expected to be brought up for ratification at the beginning of
the autumn session of the State Duma. "The US Senate may begin to examine
this question (of ratification) not earlier than September. We, for sure,
shall not forestall (the event)," Kosachyov said.Leonid Slutsky, first
deputy chairman of the House committee on international affairs, has
pointed out that the first public discussion of the new Treaty will be
held in the State Duma on Tuesday. "The MPs star ted analyzing the new
Treaty immediately after it was officially presented. It was examined at a
closed-door session of the relevant committees of the House. It was also
considered at a meeting of the so-called Wise Men's group which includes
former Ambassadors of the Russian Federation and the Soviet Union who had
participated in the drafting of the previous disarmament agreements,"
Slutsky recalled. "The series of those closed-door meetings resulted in an
unambiguous understanding -- the new START treaty fully conforms to
Russia's strategic foreign and defense interests."Most of Duma factions,
with the exception of that of the Communist Party of the Russian
Federation (CPRF) so far declare in favor of ratifying the START-2
treaty.(Description of Source: Moscow ITAR-TASS in English -- Main
government information agency)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyr ight
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

127) Back to Top
Russian Scientists Criticize State-Funded 'Innovations'
Report by Konstantin Gaaze, Anton Ctepnov and Nikita Maksimov: "A
Collision on Inovations" -- taken from html version of source provided by
ISP - Russkiy Newsweek Online
Monday July 5, 2010 22:52:23 GMT
Modernization the Russian way has not yet started, so for the time being
Dmitriy Medvedev is making use of the fruits of American modernization.
Last week the president went to acquire foreign experience in the United
States, where he received a gift of the new iPhone 4G and opened his own
microblog right at the Twitter staff-headquarters. In the first
photographs in this blog Medvedev radiated optimism, but an h our later he
obviously became sadder. "Our Skolkovo should ideally turn into a system
that entices people... and it is impossible to create it by an order," he
acknowledged at a meeting with Russian associates of American high-tech
companies. Innovations in Russia are financed from two sources: the
federal budget, which is managed by the government -- that is about R250
billion a year -- and the budget of the president's commission on
modernization -- for the time being this is about R5 billion a year. In
this scheme, Skolkovo is not the place where they receive the money, but
the only area in Russia so far at which, in accordance with world-accepted
rules, there can be trade in technological and scientific developments. A
different, more liberal and up-to-date legal policy will exist there. But
for the present, Skolkovo consists of two offices in the adjacent
business-school of the same name, and the science and technologies proper
will be engaged in where t hey are now: in Novosibirsk, Zelenograd, Dubna,
etc. Both Medvedev and Vladimir Putin never tire of repeating: the state
spends a great deal of money on science, but there is almost no result.
Foreign experts agree: Russia continues to lag greatly behind the leading
scientific powers. "The Russian budget spends R250 billion a year on
research and development," said Yevgeniy Fedorov, chairman of the Duma
committee on economic policy. "This is money thrown away."

According to Newsweek's data, at a meeting of the government commission on
high-technology in the first half of July, it will finally be determined
how, and in what volumes the state will finance innovative programs in the
near future. It will not be easy to decide which projects will receive
support, and which will end up in the waste-basket: the government is
fighting the budget deficit and cutting back on expenditures at the same
time. Newsweek

decided to help the official s, and asked 50 Russian scientists to
familiarize themselves with the projects that interested the government,
and to vote "for" or "against" (see the article, "Zolotoye Otsecheniye").
The list of these projects is in three documents, which are available to
the editors. These are two reports of the Ministry of Economic
Development, already sent to the White House. In the first is a complete
list of the specific scientific, innovative and introductory projects that
the state is planning to finance or is financing. There are 96 of them. In
the second is a bid for additional funds for most of these projects in
2011. This constitutes R200 billion. The third document is the Kremlin's.
It contains four projects from the president's commission on innovations
-- these are the detailed bids of companies to obtain budgetary money. In
all, there are 100 projects, which are to change Russia. At least, the
officials hope for this.

The scient ists that Newsweek polled do not share these hopes. Their
opinions on specific projects differ. To some, space is closer, to others
-- medicine. But they proved to be unanimous on one thing: the list of
innovations has not a whiff of any coordinated scientific-technical
policy. And the money that business and the officials continue to ask for
from the government and the president is at risk of being dissipated in
numerous departmental scientific research institutes, intermediary offices
and state holding companies.

A Random Set of Projects

"This is not at all what we urgently need," said Boris Saltykov, president
of the Russian House of the International Scientific and Technical
Cooperation Association. "Some random set of projects." Other experts also
agreed with Saltykov, the first Russian minister of Science. For example,
Andrey Sverdlichenko, from the Informzashchita Company, is annoyed by the
project of the joint-venture fund of the VTB Bank of creating an antivirus
of a new generation. The Returnil Company is handling this. They are
already selling their antivirus, and promise to improve it with time. The
price of the matter is R100 million, but there is nothing innovative in
this product, Sverdlichenko thinks: "Anyone who feels like it is making
antiviruses now."

The experts also dislike the other "antivirus" project from the Ministry
of Economic Development's list. The Rafarma Company received R200 million
to develop and introduce the new preparation FZ-101, which will treat
several types of infections at once: bacterial, viral and fungal. A real
innovation? Scientists greatly doubt this. "It is hard to believe that
anyone will succeed in the near future in creating a preparation with such
a broad spectrum of action," said a staff member of the RAMN (Russian
Academy of Medical Sciences) Institute of Virusology, who asked that his
name not be given. He refused to comment on the Rafarma Company. We did
not manage to find out any details on another project -- recycling seized
narcotics into medical preparations. Officials allocated R125 million for
these purposes last year. The Ministry of Public Health discussed this
idea as far back as the 1990's. Olga Vinogradova of the health
laboratories of the RAN (Russian Academy of Sciences) Institute of
Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, criticized not individual
projects from the list of the Ministry of the Economic Development, but
the document as a whole. "These are typical bids of the Soviet sectorial
scientific research institutes of the 1980's," she said. "And judging by
them, it is not high technologies in general that are being financed, but
raw-material projects and heavy industry." Vinogradova is right with
respect to a considerable part of the list, where it is really a question
of industrial technologies and various improvements in the oil-and
gas-extracting sector. But there are also interesting exceptions. For
example, the main state scientific investor, the Rosnano Corporation,
thought about whether or not to support the production of nanofabrics for
the needs of European and American fashion houses. These fabrics are made
in the city of Ivanovo, at the Ivtekhnomash enterprise. A few years ago
they developed a method there that made it possible to coat fabrics with a
thin metallic film -- for a shine. "The technology itself is not new. It
has been used for a long time now in the production of microcircuits,"
Boris Gorberg, head of the ion-plasma processes laboratory of the IGKhTU,
one of the participants in the project explained. "But we adapted this
method for the textile industry." The idea was appreciated abroad. "In
2007, at our own expense, we went to an exhibition in Germany," Gorberg
recalled. "There, an unprepossessing young woman came up to us and a sked
us to cut off a little of the fabric. At first we refused. But later on we
glanced at her business card -- she was a staff member of the Nina Ricci
Fashion House. Of course, we immediately found her." The French began to
purchase the metallicized fabric from Ivtekhnomash. In 2008, Nina Ricci
made dresses from it for her collection. One of them was acquired by Sarah
Jessica Parker, the star of "Sex and the City."

Rosnano was also interested in the enterprise. The project has already
passed the expert examination, and the corporation may invest R550 million
in it. It is not at all certain, however, that the enterprise will get
this money. "It is too soon to say that an agreement has been reached," a
collocutor at Ivtekhnomash informed Newsweek. "Rosnano is setting very
tough conditions for us. Right now we are trying to find some sort of
compromise with them."

On the other hand, the project of the BS Graphics Com pany has no problems
with financing. The VTB joint-venture fund has already invested R45
million in the development of a 3D animation system. In the 1990's, BS
Graphics made bids for the television broadcast of the "Mask Show," and
has now become engaged in interactive presentations for the business.
"Just imagine that you are flying over Paris, and on all sides you can see
only projected buildings" -- company president Sergey Bazhenov gave an
example. Suffice to mention the similar programs on the market. Bazhenov
gave a brief answer to the question as to what, strictly speaking, the
innovation was: "It is an innovative product, because with its help,
contracts for multimillions are concluded." The businessman named one of
his company's clients -- the Rosatom State Corporation.

Nuclear technologies are also on the lists. To be financed this year is a
project on developing a nuclear-powered engine for space ships -- the
president' s commission on innovations is promoting it. "There is a future
for this technology," Roskosmos stated to Newsweek. With the aid of this
engine, the space department counts on sending a man to Mars. Another
technology from the list of the Ministry of Economic Development is
self-heating packaging for food products. The VTB joint-venture fund is
also promoting it. The Vargan Production Group Company, which is
developing a container with a special reagent, has received R139 million.
Just add water, and the packaging heats up to 70 degrees Celsius. Ideas
for self-heating products have been around for more than 100 years, but
this does not bother the company's general director Vasiliy Bargan. "Of
course we are making an innovative product," he asserts. "The American
Army packaging, in contrast to ours, during heating gives out a large
amount of explosive hydrogen." Bargan's packages show a contented sniper
in a camouflage suit, drinking fr om a jigger glass.

Oligarch-Innovators

The main source of money for both the developers of industrial
technologies and the producers of hot canned foods remains the so-called
federal target programs (FTsP) of an innovative trend. There are 13 of
them, and the total amount of their financing from 2008 to 2010 is a
little over R500 billion. This money goes not only for development, but
also for the supplementing of the charter capitals of state companies
after the crisis, for the construction of new science buildings, and even
for repair of the sewer systems at some institutes. This year another
source was added to the government FTsP -- the president's innovation
commission began to distribute money. Its funds are not very large so far
-- R10 billion for the two years -- but the possibility is not ruled out
that there will soon be more. Judging by the minutes of a recent
conference held by the prime minister, Putin does not begrudge giving his
tandem collea gue more money for innovations. They are not hindering
Medvedev. About 50 projects are now aspiring to approval by the
president's commission, and R5 billion a year may not be enough. The
question is, for what is this money being used.

In its own way, big business has taken up the call to participate in
modernization. Newsweek found out that the first four projects, which the
Kremlin has already sent to the White House for approval, are inquiries
from billionaires concerning the co-financing of its developments.

Vladimir Lisin, number one on the Russian Forbes list, is asking the
president to give the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combine R295 million for
the development of special filters. The Ritek Company, which is sitting on
dozens of oil deposits in three of the Russian Federatio n's components,
needs R725 million for an innovative thermogas method of extraction. The
Almaz Capital Partners Foundation is awaiting approval of a bid for R450
million, and pro mises to create the Cloud Incubator-Foundation, which
will engage in the commercialization of promising technologies. One of the
founders of the Almaz Capital Partners is the American IT-giant Cisco.
During Medvedev's trip to the United States, Cisco announced that it was
investing $100 million in Russian joint-venture projects, and will later
on add up to $1 billion to this sum.

Viktor Vekselberg -- co-owner of Renova and chairman of the supervisory
council of the president's innovative city Skolkovo -- proposed the fourth
project from the Kremlin's list. He is asking for R750 million to "create
scientific centers in Russia for the study of coverings using the
technologies of Oerlikon and Sulzer." Vekselberg himself owns a major
package of shares in the Swedish Oerlikon, whose technologies he wants to
introduce in Russia: two years ago he brought his share in the company up
to 44.7%. And he has 31.2% in Sulzer.

Kasha Made From a Nano-Axe

The Rosnano State Corporation, which as far back as last year created a
panel of experts to evaluate its own projects, has been called upon to
ease the work of the president's commission. "The corporation will make a
preliminary expert examination of the projects that will be given for
consideration to the modernization commission," Andrey Trapeznikov,
corporative director of Rosnano, said. The company is also trying to fish
out bids for financing that are simultaneously received by Rosnano and the
Kremlin, and, for example, Vneshekonombank. But it is not so far managing
to disseminate this experiment to the whole system of state financing for
science.

"The majority of the projects that receive financing through the FTsP got
there many years ago, and the departments demand money for them for old
times' sake," a staff member of the government machine complained. Even
the staff members of the departments that supervise these FTsP cannot
always u nderstand what the result is. An official of the Ministry of
Industry and Trade said that the same scientific research institutes have
for several years now been winning competitions for research and
development on industrial developments, and each year yields virtually the
same volumes, with reports on the work done. "The real developers of
technologies are passed only crumbs," the official worries, "and that only
in order to impart a scientific appearance to the reports."

The government itself is not averse to economizing and casting overboard
unnecessary projects, but "there is so far no understanding as to who is
to sift through this ore in the search for pearls," said a high-ranking
staff member of the government. And the departments, and for example, the
Academy of Sciences are asking for new tranches of budget money. The
Ministry of Economic Development support them, and is demanding an
additional R200 million for next year.

"Stop and discuss everything yet again" -- one of the members of the
government commission on innovations does not agree with the department of
Elvira Nabiullina, "otherwise in 2013 we will again be trying to
understand where the fabulous sums have gone." Especially since there are
great complaints, not only about the volumes of financing, but also about
the quality of the projects.

"This is reminiscent of the exercises of the perestroika days," Sergey
Yegerev, former scientific adviser to Boris Yeltsin, said about the lists
of projects. "Here you have an innovations list of the 1990's: a portable
mobile phone weighing 4 kg, and a personal dosimeter (radiation monitor)
about the size of half a notebook. I find it hard to believe that such
projects will turn our lives around."

(Description of Source: Moscow Russkiy Newsweek Online in Russian --
Website of Russian version of international news magazine Newsweek; R
ussian version published by the German Axel Springer company; URL:
http://www.runewsweek.ru/)

Material in the World News Connection is generally copyrighted by the
source cited. Permission for use must be obtained from the copyright
holder. Inquiries regarding use may be directed to NTIS, US Dept. of
Commerce.

128) Back to Top
Russian Communist MP slams START treaty, says faction to oppose
ratification - Interfax
Monday July 5, 2010 16:46:28 GMT
ratification

Text of report by corporate-owned Russian news agency InterfaxMoscow, 5
July: The CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation) faction in the
State Duma categorically opposes the ratification of the Russian-American
START treaty and is convinced that the upcoming parliamentary hearings on
this document will n ot alter its position, the first deputy chairman of
the State Duma International Affairs Committee, Leonid Kalashnikov (CPRF
faction), has said."We are not expecting anything at all from tomorrow's
parliamentary hearings. Having thoroughly analysed the text of the treaty,
we have come to the conclusion that it is very raw, it contains many
serious flaws and mistakes, and the ratification of this document would do
serious harm to our country's security," Kalashnikov told Interfax on
Monday (5 July).Public hearings devoted to the discussion of the question
of ratification of the Russian-American Treaty on Measures to Further
Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START) will take
place in the State Duma on Tuesday.On the part of the Foreign Ministry the
hearings will be attended by the first deputy head of that department,
Sergey Ryabkov, while on the part of the Defence Ministry, by a group of
the heads of appropriate structural subdivisions, the head of the State
Duma International Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, has told
journalists.Kalashnikov, for his part, noted that the Communists "are
completely unhappy about the so-called 'upload potential' which was
recorded in the text and on which the Americans had insisted". This "was
completely unsuitable to us in the previous START treaty, too, and it is
even more unsuitable in the new one", the Communist MP said.Kalashnikov
stressed that the parity reduction of nuclear warheads by Moscow and
Washington to 1,550 units envisaged by the treaty was beneficial to the
USA, but not to Russia."The document envisages that each side can remove
from missiles as many warheads as they like and send them to a warehouse
and if needed, take them back to their initial position, but they, the
Americans, have a considerably greater number of platforms for nuclear
warheads. Therefore, the procedure of counting the warheads simply
changes, but there is no real reduction of them and we understand that all
this is deception," the Communist MP explained.He also noted that the fact
that the US allies in NATO, the UK and France, also have considerable
stocks of nuclear weapons cannot be disregarded.Apart from that,
Kalashnikov recalled, that Washington has not given up its idea of
deploying elements of its missile-defence system in Eastern European
countries. "The agreement signed with Poland a few days ago is evidence of
this," the MP added.He said that he intended to speak at the hearings at
which he would voice all the complaints of the CPRF faction about this
document.Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev submitted the START treaty to
parliament for ratification on 28 May and called for its ratification
simultaneously with the US side.(Description of Source: Moscow Interfax in
Russian -- Nonofficial information agency known for its extensive and
detailed reporting on domestic and international issues)

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