Are We Heading for a Fall? --Independent, UK

[Gloria]

Full excerpts and links up in the new World Media Watch now at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical
Tomorrow at Buzzflash.com


WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR MAY 18, 2005

1//The Independent, UK--ARE WE HEADING FOR A FALL? (Gordon Brown has used his first major speech since Labour's election victory to insist that he would not let his record as Chancellor be wrecked by the global economic turmoil swirling around Britain. Last night he pledged to keep public spending under control, block excessive public-sector pay demands and push through reform of state services. But his comments came amid mounting concern that after eight years of stability under Labour, the UK faces the prospect of a sharp economic slowdown. Within days of Labour's election celebrations, the economy has started to look very sick.)



2//The Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates--AFGHAN GUANTANAMO PRISONER ALLEGES QURAN DESECRATION (An Afghan who spent three years at Guantanamo Bay prison said on Tuesday that interrogators at the center frequently desecrated the Quran, which prompted a hunger strike and a US apology. Abdul Rahim, 40, said during an interview on AVT Khyber television, a Pashtu-language private channel, that abuse of the holy book was routine. “Abuse of the Quran was done routinely particularly in the early days of detention,” Rahim said. His claims could not be independently verified. “They would throw the holy book on the ground, trample upon it and tell the prisoner under interrogation no one could stop them from doing that.)



3//Arab News, Saudi Arabia--SAUDI ARABIA COULD DOUBLE OIL OUTPUT CAPACITY: ARAMCO CHIEF (Saudi Arabia could double its crude production capacity to meet growing world demand, Aramco’s President and Chief Executive Officer Abdallah S. Jum’ah said on Monday. “The Kingdom is uniquely positioned, because of its reserves and resources, to consider raising its production by such a margin,” he said. “US forecasts say Saudi capacity will need to grow from its current 11 million bpd to over 23 million bpd to meet world demand,” he said in a speech at Rice University’s James Baker III Institute for Public Policy in Houston, according to the text of his remarks released by Aramco yesterday. . … . Jum’ah also toured the recently upgraded Wiess Energy Hall of the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Monday. Jum’ah was accompanied by several members of Saudi Aramco’s management . … . Among other leading energy companies, Saudi Aramco was a main sponsor for the upgrade of this important educational facility, visited annually by more than 2 million people — including some 400,000 school students. Jum’ah expressed his satisfaction with the role Saudi Aramco is playing to increase energy awareness in local communities within the Kingdom and internationally. These efforts, he said, will have positive effects on the industry in the long term. . … .)



4//The Turkish Daily News, Turkey--ANKARA SEEKS HELP TO IMPROVE TIES WITH US (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been seeking support recently from top U.S. weapons manufacturers in order to improve bilateral ties with Washington. Erdogan last month sent Murat Mercan, a senior party official, to Washington on a “test the waters” mission, before visiting Israel, in an effort to revive the former U.S.-Turkey-Israel alliance. The Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry has informally requested support from Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon to lobby Washington for improved U.S.-Turkish relations.)



5//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--SEOUL IN MYSTERY OFFER TO PYONGYANG IF N. TALKS RESUME (Seoul told North Korea during vice-ministerial talks in Kaesong it would make an “important proposal” that could bring real progress in the North Korean nuclear dispute provided Pyongyang comes back to six-party nuclear disarmament talks. . … . ." Rhee said he did not even tell the North Koreans what the "important proposal" would entail, but one government official said it was a "Marshall Plan” for North Korea including massive economic aid if the North gives up its nuclear program.)