World braces for ‘triumphant’ Bush

WASHINGTON, Nov 8: The world now faces President George W Bush triumphant after the midterm elections. His Republican party is in command of both houses of Congress, and Bush can claim a potent new mandate for an assertive foreign policy whose unilateralist America first implications have disconcerted friends and foes alike.

We are dealing with a power that has no limit in its dealing with foreign issues, said Mohammed Shaker, head of the Egyptian council on foreign relations, whose wariness of a Bush administration unrestrained by any other branch of Government was widely shared beyond the US shores.

Diplomats in Washington Wednesday, while noting that the executive branch was always in charge of foreign policy, suggested that the Republican majorities in Congress would give the Bush administration even more self-assurance in foreign policy, and adding weight to its more hawkish voices and weakening the doves.

My guess is that one of the losers of this election campaign might be (secretary of State) Colin Powell, who has been seen by most foreign Governments as a voice of caution and of wisdom in an administration that otherwise seems largely filled with hawks, commented one senior NATO diplomat based in Washington.

When Powell and other administration officials go up to Capitol Hill to explain their policies, he will no longer be facing that internationalist Democrat, Sen. Joe Biden. The new Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could be a very different type of interlocutor. And certainly the majority on that committee, and the Chairmen of the important sub-committees, will be very different, the NATO diplomat added.

Other diplomats suggested the United States would become tougher to deal with on international issues and was likely to be more dismissive of the United Nations and cooler to traditional allies like Germany and France that are now perceived as critics of the Bush administration’s policy on Iraq. If there were much hope for any American compromises on international issues like the Kyoto protocol (on global warming) and the International Criminal Court, this election result probably knocks all that on the head, commented one European Ambassador.

This might not be an easy administration to work with in the sense of finding agreed solutions. I suspect we might hear rather more ‘take it or leave it.’ On the whole, diplomats seem to expect a change in tone coming from Washington rather than any dramatic new shifts in policy. The executive branch always runs foreign policy, aside from big issues like war or peace or the ratification of treaties. And on the main issues, like threatening war on Iraq or the new national security doctrine that authorizes pre-emptive strikes, have already been decided. In Asia, officials were trying to assess what the elections could mean for their region. Taku Yamasaki, Secretary-General of Japan’s Ruling Liberal Democratic Party, concluded that America’s war on terrorism would continue even more forcefully, since the Republican victory confirms that public opinion remained united behind the Bush administration’s policy. In terms of foreign policy, Mr. Bush would gain much more leeway in dealing with the war on terrorism and the Iraq threat, said Singapore’s Straits Times. In South Korea, some commentators saw the election result strengthening Bush’s hands if he decided to get tough with North Korea over its admission that it was enriching uranium with a view to developing nuclear weapons. But they also feared the Korean issues might be on the back burner, after Powell called Foreign Minister Choi Sung-Hong on Wednesday and said he had to cancel a planned visit to South Korea next week because of unavoidable circumstances related to the U.N. Security Council resolution on Iraq. In Europe and the Middle East, media comment seemed to expect a tougher line coming from Washington over Iraq, with an agreed resolution in the U.N. Security Council said to be very close. The prospect of waging war on Iraq looks to be increased, Qatar-Based al Jazeera TV said Wednesday.

Not quite elected in 2000, Monsieur Bush sees his political base reinforced by a remarkable electoral success that offers him an even greater freedom of maneuver in his strategy towards Iraq, commented France’s leading daily, Le Monde. The big loser of these elections, apart from the Democrats, is none other than Saddam Hussein, commented the Left-wing French Daily Liberation. An election setback for Bush would have been inevitably interpreted as a rejection by the American people of his threatening rhetoric against ‘the axis of evil’ whose pivot lies in Baghdad. Bush can thus henceforth claim a strong mandate of popular support for his politics of enforced disarmament of Iraq, and also in his dealing with the U.N. The results staggered many pundits who saw Bush as a dimwit who had become President through good fortune and a court-managed technicality, said the Times of India Wednesday. The President appeared to have erased that stigma. Pundits and pollsters saw the results as an affirmation of the American people’s faith in George Bush in the face of the challenges he is facing. They also surmised that the events of 9/11 had a profound effect on America despite previews suggesting the elections would be based on local issues. Only in Israel did there seem to be little new deference to the Bush administration and its striking new mandate. Israel’s new Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked his own return to Government by asserting the Bush administration’s latest roadmap for peace was not on the agenda. Netanyahu also told Israeli TV Wednesday he thought the attack on Saddam would be a good time to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, despite earlier promises from Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon to President Bush that Arafat would not be harmed. (UNI)

China calls for greater intl cooperation to fight terrorism

BEIJING, Nov 8: China has said greater international cooperation is needed to combat "all forms of terrorism" and reassured neighbouring countries that Beijing will never seek "hegemony" and "expansion".

"We stand for fighting against terrorism of all forms," Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) said while emphasising that the scourge of terrorism is more acutely being felt now.

"It is imperative to strengthen international cooperation in this regard, address both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism, prevent and combat terrorist activities and work hard to eliminate terrorism at root," he said in a key note address at the 16th national congress of the CPC which opened here at the great hall of the people.

Dwelling at length on China’s foreign policy, Jiang said: "we oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics. China will never seek hegemony and never go in for expansion."

"We will continue to cement our friendly ties with our neighbours and persist in building a good-neighbourly relationship and partnership with them. We will step up regional cooperation and bring our exchanges and cooperation with our surrounding countries to a new height," Jiang said in an attempt to allay fears of the so-called `China threat.’

Addressing 2,116 deputies attending the weeklong Congress, which meets once in five years to choose the new Chinese leadership, Jiang said China would continue to pursue the independent foreign policy of peace, safeguard world peace and promote common development.

"The purpose of China’s foreign policy is to maintain world peace and promote common development," Jiang said in his 68-page work report to the congress.

While pointing out that the international situation was undergoing changes and China faced serious challenges to its sovereignty, the Chinese President said Beijing would strive to establish a fair and rational new international political order.

Jiang, who is expected to retire as general secretary at the current session and pave the way for the election of a new and younger generation of Chinese leaders led by Vice President Hu Jintao, predicted that a new world war is "unlikely in the foreseeable future".

At the same time, he cautioned that hegemonism and power politics, the two phrases which China uses to criticise unilateral policies pursued by the us, have new manifestations.

He also called for maintaining the diversity of the world and favoured promoting democracy in international relations and diversifying development models.

"The affairs of each country should be left to the people of that country to decide. World affairs should be determined by all countries concerned through consultations on the basis of equality," he said in a veiled criticism of Washington’s attempts to impose its views and concept of human rights on China.

Jiang concluded by evaluating that though the prospects for world peace and development was tortuous it was bright.

"The road is tortuous, but the future is bright. The forces for peace, justice and progress are invincible after all," he added. (PTI)

Pakistan coalition talks remain deadlocked

ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Pakistan’s main pro-military party and the religious right remained divided during coalition talks today on who should run the country’s first civilian Government in three years, but agreed to meet again.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, vice president of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance of hardline Islamic groups, stuck to its insistence that it should lead the future coalition Government, even though it came in third in October elections.

"We can hold talks and we are holding talks, but we have our own candidate for the Prime Ministership," he told reporters after meeting the leader of pro-military Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein.

Nearly a month after the election, in which the PML-QA won most seats but fell far short of a majority, Pakistan’s politicians appear no nearer to agreeing on a coalition needed to take the country back to civilian rule.

Earlier this week, efforts by an anti-military alliance led by exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to agree a coalition with the Islamists also broke down over the MMA’s insistance that conservative Islamic leader Fazal-ur-Rehman should become Prime Minister.

Attempts to reach an agreement between Bhutto’s party and the PML-QA, which are bitter rivals, have appeared still-born. However, ahmed insisted there was no political stalemate and blamed the military Government for compounding the confusion by delaying the opening of Parliament, which was originally scheduled for today, for at least a week.

"We ask them to call the Parliament and whomsoever becomes Prime Minister, we will accept him in a democratic way," he said.

Yesterday, Bhutto’s party dismissed speculation about a deal with President Pervez Musharraf to negotiate the release of her jailed husband and to allow her back into Pakistan in exchange for supporting the PML-QA. "There is no secret deal between the PPP and the military Government," it said in a statement. "There will never be. Let there be no doubt or mistake about it."

The alliance of Islamic parties, which based its election campaign on fierce criticism of President Pervez Musharraf’s support for the US-led war in Afghanistan and calls for imposition of Islamic law, dramatically increased its seat count in the elections and now holds the balance of power.

The prospect of a hardline Islamist at the helm has alarmed financial markets.

There are also fears that having the religious right in power could undermine the US-led pursuit of Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.

But some analysts say this could force the Islamists to take a more conciliatory line and would be preferable to having them in opposition while ruling the roost in the key tribal borderland where many Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters are thought to have taken refuge. (AGENCIES)

US may withhold some WHO research funds

WASHINGTON, Nov 8: The Bush administration may withhold funds from a World Health Organisation program because it is doing research on the abortion Pill Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, a spokesman has said.

The United States has contributed to the WHO’s human reproduction program for years but funding is now in jeopardy because of the administration’s interpretation of the Kemp-Kasten amendment, a law banning federal funds to programs that support or carry out coercive abortions.

"We are looking at that program in terms of whether that is consistent with Kemp-Kasten — how Kemp-Kasten might apply to the human reproduction program," State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told a daily briefing yesterday.

Boucher said the amount in question was three million dollars but the United States had never earmarked that amount to the program and so it would be wrong to say it had frozen the funding.

Nine members of Congress wrote to Secretary of State Colin Powell last month to complain that the state department has not made the contribution to the who research program out of the budget for fiscal year 2002, which ended on September 30.

"It is our belief that your interpretation of Kemp-Kasten exceeds even the broadest reading of the law," they said.

If the administration adopts that interpretation in all cases, the United States might end up withholding all funds from WHO, the UN Children’s Fund UNCIEF, the UN development program and even the World Bank, they wrote.

"We ask for your assurance that the state department has no plan to apply the overly broad interpretation of Kemp-Kasten to these other international organisations," they said. In July the Bush administration withdrew 34 million dollars from the UN population fund, known by the Acronym UNFPA, on the grounds that it could indirectly help the chinese authorities carry out a policy of coercive abortions.

The argument was that although UNFPA did not actively encourage abortions, it was providing computers and office furniture to the Chinese State Family Planning Commission.

The same "fungibility" argument could apply to hundreds of millions of dollars of US funding for international agencies, critics of the administration’s policy said.

In one of his first acts as President, George W Bush cut off all federal aid to international family planning programs that even give advice about abortion, let alone promote it.

Boucher indicated the administration would not stretch the "fungibility" argument to the limits. "It’s not an overall general point of fungibility. It’s we don’t want to be in programs where there’s localized fungibility," he said.

The spokesman said that, contrary to some reports in the US press, the Bush administration would not try to go back on the commitments the previous Clinton administration made at a 1994 conference in Cairo on population and development.

At the conference, the United States joined other Governments in promising to support reproductive rights and reproductive health services.

The US media said US officials at a conference in Bangkok last month threatened to withdraw that support because the terms could be construed as promoting abortion.

But Boucher said: "We’re going to keep the same position. We’re not going to change our policy.

"The United States remains committed to providing assistance to help achieve the three principal goals adopted in the 1994 international conference. ... Our support for these goals, however, does not imply US promotion of abortion." (AGENCIES)

Britain steps up warnings of terrorists’ attack

LONDON, Nov 8: Britain issued a sharp warning to its nationals of a possible terrorist attack on key installations by "fanatical extremists" of Al-Qaeda, but within minutes replaced it with a diluted version.

An early draft of a home office document warned: "may be they will try to develop a so-called dirty bomb, or some kind of poison gas; may be they will try to use boats or trains rather than planes. The bottom line is that we simply cannot be sure."

However, within minutes it was withdrawn and another diluted version of the warning issued.

The early version of the document was "mistakenly" distributed to journalists, the home office said.

However, it said the government stood by the warning but ministers had removed the section on the dirty bomb and poison gas from the final version to ensure that people remain focused on the wider threat.

"The message we are trying to get out is that terrorists will use anything at their disposal," a spokesman said today. "If you draw up a list, you are being prescriptive."

According to a home office release, the initial assessment came in the foreword to a summary of anti-terrorism measures taken in recent months.

Both versions urged people to remain vigilant to the continuing threat of Irish and international terrorism. The first document warned: "they may attempt to use more familiar terrorist methods such as leaving parcel or vehicle bombs in public places, to hijacking passenger aircraft. However, they may try something different, perhaps as surprising as the attacks on the world trade centre, to the theatre siege in Moscow.

"May be they will try to develop a so-called dirty bomb, or some kind of poison gas, maybe they will try to use boats or trains rather than planes."

The replacement warns of "ever more dramatic and devastating" terror attacks but avoids mention of the specific threats.

There will be extra security mounted for the service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday and for the state opening of Parliament next Wednesday.

Both events attract large crowds who come to watch ceremonies where virtually the entire establishment, including the queen, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, are on public show. (PTI)

UN adopts resolution on Iraq

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8: Sending a strong message to Iraq, the UN Security Council today unanimously adopted a US-sponsored resolution asking it to scrap its weapons of mass destruction or face serious consequence if it did not cooperate with weapons inspectors.

Capping two months of tough negotiations among the council members, the resolution was voted 15-0 after Russia and France shed their reservations and agreed to the new draft proposed by the US.

Syria, the only Arab member of the 15-member council, also unexpectedly voted in favour of the resolution. Till Thursday, it was expected that Syria would abstain after sugggestions given by it were rejected.

Immediately after the vote the UN Security General Kofi Annan appealed to Iraq to seize the oppurtunity and dismantle the weapons of mass destruction for "the sake of it own people, and for the sake of world security and world order".

Failing which, he said the Security Council "must face its responsilibities".

During the eight weeks of negotiation on the draft resoultion US President George W Bush personally spoke to the leader of Russia, France and Britain.

The breakthrough in the negotiations came earlier in the day after French President Jacques Chirac and Bush reached agreement on a fresh draft aimed at disarming Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Paris has been seeking assurances that the US-proposed resolution would not allow the automatic use of force if Iraq fails to scrap its alleged weapons of mass destruction.

The resolution gave Iraq one last chance to scrap its alleged weapons of mass destruction or face serious consequences.

The United States agreed to delete any reference to explicit use of force and to come to the Council again if inspectors report obstruction to get agreement of France which had led the opposition to the resolution drafted by Washington in cooperation with London.

But it does not call for another resolution to specifically authorise use of force which could be interpreted by the Americans that they could take military action irrespective of the Council resolution.

The resolution gives one last opportunity to comply with the Council resolutions and gives, what the diplomats describe, "penetrating powers" to inspectors.

After the adoption of the resolution, Ambassadors of the United States, Britain, France and Mexico called on Iraq to give unfettered access to all sites and cooperate with the inspectors fully in its own interest and allow them to eliminate all its weapons of mass destruction including nuclear, chemical and biological arms and long range missiles.

Iraq is expected to fully declare all its weapons of mass destruction, related materials and facilities within 30 days and any wrong information would be considered a "material breach" which could attract the US wrath.

The unanimous support was another major success of President Bush in a week after his Republican party gained control of the Congress in the midterm poll.

"This resolution is designed to test Iraq’s intention," US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte, said.

There was no immediate reaction from Baghdad to the resolution.

"This resolution is a success for the Security Council and the UN," said France’s UN Ambassador Jean-David Levitte. But Iraq "must understand that this opportunity is the final one," he said.

Negroponte said the resolution gives international insectors broad authority to look for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction — to check "anyone, anywhere, anytime". (PTI)

War or peace?
300 UN inspectors play vital role in Iraq future

NEW YORK, Nov 8: Hans Blix had always been optimistic. The United Nations Chief Arms Inspector predicted that, at the end of all the wrangling concerning Iraq, there would be a resolution that opens the way for the inspectors and their difficult task.

That crucial point has now been reached. Saddam Hussein will still have to show that he is ready to comply with the United Nations. Other than that, the decision whether there will be war or peace will largely depend on Hans Blix’s and his inspectors’ work.

Only when the United States and Britain become convinced that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, will the two driving powers behind the new, tougher resolution be prepared to abstain from military action to topple Saddam.

The eyes of the world are more than ever focused on the 74 year-old Swedish diplomat and decomissioning expert.

He heads the arms inspectors from the 31st floor of the glass-fronted United Nations building in New York. For four years, he and his team have been sitting on packed suitcases, ready to go.

Blix’s team - the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) - includes more than 60 internal UN specialists as well as 230 chemists, biologists and weapons experts from all over the world.

The team has been trained for its task in a four-week course which covered background information on the Iraq conflict and Baghdad’s weapons dossier as well as the culture, history and politics of Saddam’s country.

Unlike its predecessor UNSCOM, the earlier Arms Inspection Commission under Australian Richard Butler, UNMOVIC is independent in its actions. It is actually financed by Iraq itself - with proceeds from the oil-for-food programme.

Because of these revenues, Blix can afford to pay his experts from more than 40 countries generously. In comparison, UNSCOM relied on the experts provided free by a few countries such as the United States, and therefore laid itself open to allegations of espionage.

Blix is hoping that the inspectors can complete their work within a year but he also knows how difficult, almost impossible his task is.

Some of the former inspectors have raised their doubts publicly, such as David Kay, who used to run the search for nuclear components in Iraq’s arms arsenal. The UN Security Council’s assignment to UNMOVIC was tantamount to a "mission impossible", he said.

Today’s inspectors, many of whom used to belong to the UNSCOM team, also know the art of concealment practised by Saddam and his generals and experienced in the past by rolf ekeus, the UN’s first commissary for Iraqi disarmament. Ekeus found sensitive material even in a chicken shed that belonged to Saddam’s son-in-law Husayn Kamil - although, admittedly, this had been placed there in order to discredit the Iraqi general who had just fled to the west.

But the first arms controllers were by no means without success. After all, they found and destroyed more weapons and secret production sites than the United States army managed to annihilate during the entire operation "desert storm" in 1990, as the french ambassador to the UN, Jean-David Levitte pointed out.

Furthermore, the UN’s new resolution ascribes more powers and authority for specific actions to blix, allowing him to search even Saddam’s private palaces without warning. "It has been made a lot more difficult to hide things in Iraq," a western diplomat said.

During its mission UNSCOM managed to search more than 700 buildings, sites and other places in Iraq for traces of chemical and biological weapons material and rocket systems before Baghdad hindered and hampered the inspectors more and more and the controllers finally left the country in 1998.

Four years on, Blix’s experts do not only have to revisit about 700 sites again in order to establish whether Baghdad used the time to rebuild its capacities. Numerous additional industrial sites and building complexes will now also have to be inspected and the Chief Inspector has to follow up fresh intelligence from new satellite pictures and secret service information. (DPA)

Zardari shifted to Karachi amid rumours of
deal over Govt form

ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: Amid hectic efforts to break the stalemate over the formation of the new Government, Asif Ali Zardari, the jailed husband of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been taken to Karachi to visit his sick mother.

Zardari who convalesced in a hospital here has been shifted to Karachi to the hospital where his mother too was admitted for treatment of a serious ailment.

State television tonight said Zardari has been shifted to Karachi and the hospital where he was admitted there has been declared as sub-jail.

Zaradari, who faced a number of civil and criminal charges, has been in jail for the past six years. His bail petition was scheduled to come up for hearing on Nov 13.

Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) however has denied rumours that Zardari has been shifted ahead of his release following deal with the Government.

"He has been shifted to Karachi to attend his sick mother, who is seriously ill and nothing else," PPPP spokesman, Faratullah Babar told PTI here.

He said the rumours of deal with Musharraf Government was part of the disinformation campaign launched by the military regime to drive wedge between PPPP and other parties which were opposed to the continuation of Musharraf and his constitutional amendments.

Asked what delayed the deal between the six religious party alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) and the PPPP, he said his party has given certain important "suggestions" to mma leaders for consideration and awaited their reply. (PTI)

Blair warns Saddam will face force if he defies UN

LODNON, Nov 8: Moments after the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution today demanding that Iraq disarm, British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Saddam Hussein that he’ll face military action if he disobeys.

"Defy the UN’s will and we will disarm you by force," Blair told reporters at his 10 downing St. Office. "Be in no doubt whatever over that."

Blair said the resolution would not necessarily bring war.

"Conflict is not inevitable, but disarmament is," he said.

The resolution, which the Security Council approved unanimously, said Saddam must disarm or face "serious consequences" that would almost certainly mean war. (AP)

Iraqi Envoy says hard to meet UN demands

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8: A new UN resolution on restoring weapons inspectors to Iraq imposes US will on the global community and creates demands that will be hard for Iraq to meet, Iraq’s Ambassador to the United Nations said today.

"This is the will of the United States on the rest of the world," Iraqi UN Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri told Reuters.

"I am very pessimistic. This resolution is crafted in such a way to prevent inspectors to return to Iraq," he said.

Aldouri was speaking after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution giving Iraq one last chance to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction or face "serious consequences."

The resolution, drafted by the United States and co-sponsored by Britain, gave Baghdad a week to accept the terms and promise to comply.

Aldouri did not say whether Baghdad would accept the resolution. "We will wait and see what the reaction is from Baghdad," Aldouri said.

The vote capped eight weeks of tough negotiations on a text after US President George W Bush challenged the United Nations on Sept. 12 to compel Iraq to implement UN resolutions ordering it to disarm.

"Others did their best, they did what they could — France, Russia, Syria and China — and in the end they had to look after their own national interest," Aldouri said.

The resolution gives UN Arms Inspectors, who have been out of Iraq for four years, "immediate, unimpeded and unconditional" rights to search anywhere, including Saddam Hussein’s presidential palaces, for chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, and threatens Iraq with "serious consequences" if it fails to cooperate. (AGENCIES)

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