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COMMENTARY -- WAR -- (the news is directly below):
You have gone back in time and are standing in the midst of a lush ancient forest. You hear and see some large vegetarian dinosaurs feeding on the moist soft leaves of brush and trees. You also see skulking about like a cat after a mouse, other smaller dinosaurs with a lighter build about them trying to catch and eat even smaller dinosaurs. You also see small dinosaurs feeding on the vegetation. Suddenly you hear a loud screech which terrifies every creature in this setting and sends them running for fear. The screech is coming from a large version of the lighter built and fast moving dinosaur with teeth designed to rip and tear other animal flesh. It quickly moves up on the large vegetarian. It lacks the weight of the vegetarian it is pursuing but has more speed and agility. It's massive and powerful jaws are set into motion as it lunges upon the vegetarian and immediately draws blood as it rips and tears away at a vital spot. The vegetarian tries to defend itself by using its heavy tail to whack the aggressor but it was too slow this time in defending itself and it quickly weakened because of pain and loss of blood. Dizzy and in weakness it dropped to the ground and took its last breath. The aggressor ruthlessly tore away at the most tasty spots and then left the carcass for scavengers.
In the natural world this story describes the "food chain" and the "predatory" character of those creatures at the top of the food chain. The predatory behavior is driven by hunger and the instinct of the predator to feed and care for it's young. Although all animals have some kind of reasoning capability their instincts most often prevail and their reasoning is subordinate to these instincts to make them more effective at surviving.
How does this story relate to war? Is war wrong? Is war necessary? What is accomplished by war?
Mankind is to be above the animals, that is he should be exercising his reasoning capabilities over his instincts. But mankind often does not do that. Tribal behavior is something like wolf pack behavior. There is a kind of civilized order within the pack but anything outside the pack is considered fair game. There is usually a pack leader. In many ways, the societies and cultures and communities of mankind are like the pack where the reasoning capabilities of the individuals in the pack and the consensus of the pack is directed at serving the primitive instincts of survival.
Although man is more technically capable as he sits atop the food chain, many of the nations, societies, cultures, and communities of man are more predatory in character with leaders that know how to control the pack and maintain their control over the pack. If allowed, these predatory packs of mankind will act just like the predatory dinosaur. No amount of talk or reasoning will prevent the attack because the overall social behavior is predatory and reason is used to make the predatory behavior more successful. The only defense against such predators is to be both prepared and more capable if attacked. But often a defensive posture will fail as it did with the vegetarian dinosaur which was no threat to the other dinosaurs. Many animal packs that are vegetarian adopt defensive and preventative postures as a pack to minimize any predatory attack on members within the vegetarian pack. Buffalo, cattle, and many other animals do this.
But only mankind has two things the animals don't have. Man is smart enough to anticipate a predatory attack and respond in a defensive manoeuvre of defense to disable or kill the predatory enemy before the "screech" of death is heard. Man has the means and abilities to develop sophisticated weaponry. Compare this weaponry to the teeth of the attacking dinosaur and the tail of the vegetarian dinosaur.
But if a society or community of man is not aware of such dangers by other predatory type societies and communities then it peacefully and obliviously eats, drinks, sleeps, reproduces, plays, and in other ways occupies itself. When the "screech" of impending death is heard it may be too late. This is especially true if the predatory society has technological superiority and readiness to use that technology in an aggressive manner. This susceptibility scenario is also true if a society or community of man has been deceived into thinking that the predators are their friends or that arbitration, deals, and discourse will stop the aggression. Nothing will stop the predatory nation or community from its behavior other than its own destruction. A predatory human or human society is far more committed to violent aggression than is a predatory animal seeking a prey for a source of food. A predator is ruthless and uncaring whether it be a dinosaur, a wolf, or man. The "whimper" (or dialog to prevent aggression) that precedes death is understood by the predator as victory and the prey can be savaged. There are those that feel that a kind of social remedial exercise involving discourse, and various other forms of reward and penalty administered against the predatory society, by some powerful majority, will cause such predatory communities to change. This is foolishness as long as the pack leader remains leader. The leaders drive the communities. This is true even in western democratic nations. Sometimes leaders reflect the views of the community that elected them and perhaps leaders exploit the community that elected them.
When leaders have control of the key social institutions they can use these institutions to brain wash the community as a whole. If leaders don't have control of the key social institutions then new potential pack leaders can use these institutions to brain wash the community and thereafter supplant the pack leader. For example, often the educational institutions are infiltrated with authority figures that have a profound influence on those they teach. So it is not unusual in just about every society to see social discontent first voiced by universities and institutions of higher learning. The so called media in the form of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV industry, the publishing industry, and the movie industry are powerful means of brainwashing a society and re-engineering the "average" social mentality. A third category is the religious institutions, seminaries, and related organizations. Whoever controls the content of these institutions inevitably controls the pack mentality. Laws and government are derived from this mentality. As the mentality changes so also do the laws and inclinations of government.
As long as the average human being allows himself or herself to be herded along in a pack type social environment there will be predatory societies that feed on the other societies. They will skulk about and wait for their moment. They will form unholy and wicked alliances with each other only to eventually turn on one another. War in this context simply realigns those at the top of the food chain. War is for the purpose of establishing different leaders, it rarely occurs for the purpose of true peace and prosperity directed from a global perspective. Although the word peace is used a lot today its meaning varies depending upon who uses it. Peace as used by world leaders means the establishment of their objectives at the cost of their opponents. World leaders shake each others hands in such deceptive gestures of peace. It is a paradox. It is a horrible dilemma. If any society disarms, adopts arbitration and dialog to effect change then they will be perceived as manipulatable through that dialog. They will also be perceived by the potential aggressor as weak because they rely too heavily on a so called diplomatic solution to disputes. Meanwhile the predatory society or societies will take whatever gain they can through the dialog and when their moment comes, lunge, and with their mighty jaws and sharp teeth rip and tear away at the vulnerabilities of their prey.
Therefore, God must manipulate the devil who influences man towards predatory behavior. The devil incarnate is Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ or Satan is any human being that uses their reasoning capabilities to serve their primitive instincts. By so doing they have opened up and turned over their mental "real estate" to the spiritual forces of darkness that bring only death. The spiritual force of evil is only able to influence the human mind through the mechanism of our primitive instincts for survival. If we lust and are preoccupied with the things and values of a world driven by such instincts then we have been deceived into a form of mental slavery that brings only hatred and death in its wake.
Jesus Christ is the answer. He is both an example of what we must be like as humans and he is the facilitator/mediator/interface whereby we can all know and experience the love/caring of God.
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Back to the WORLD NEWS
... . . Day by Day with VOA .. BBC -- Thursday, 12 December, 2002, 19:08 GMT . Noisy row over
Mozambique MPs
.
Dhlakama took on sole
command of Renamo in July
The MPs were protesting after the assembly refused to allow them to replace five of their members who had either defected or been expelled. Their Mozambique National Resistance Party (Renamo) claims that the five, including the organization's former number two, Raul Domingos, can no longer defend the interests of the people who elected them. However, the majority Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) party says the five are protected by the law. Frelimo MP Mateus Kathupa said Renamo's attitude is in violation of the law. 'Force' Under the Mozambican constitution, MPs have to serve until the end of their mandate unless they die or become ill. They may also be replaced if they express interest in leaving parliament. Frelimo insists the five should continue to serve as independents in parliament until general elections in 2004. The five ex-Renamo members who want to remain in parliament as independent MPs are Almeida Tambara, Chico Francisco, Raul Domingos, Rachide Tayob and Jose Henriques Lopes. But Renamo MP Luthero Simango said their demand was legitimate. The party has said it will replace them by force. But Frelimo MP Mateus Kathupa said the police would be called in to restore order. Frelimo won 133 seats in parliamentary elections three years ago, while the opposition coalition took 117. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 03:00 GMT . Syria objects
to Israel 'as victim'
. Ambassador Mikhail
Wehbe was a lone opponent
The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Mikhail Wehbe, said he objected to the explicit identification of Israel as a victim at a time when Israeli troops were carrying out attacks on Palestinian civilians.
In the past, Security Council members have been unanimous in condemning what the UN calls terrorist attacks such as those that took place earlier this year in Bali and Moscow. This time, however, it was Israeli civilians in Kenya who appeared to be the focus of the attack on a hotel near Mombasa. Future concern Syria - an avowed enemy of Israel - found itself unable to support a resolution that condemned the attacks and expressed the deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the Kenyan and Israeli victims. Mr Wehbe's was the one dissenting voice when the resolution came to the vote. Afterwards, he said Syria objected to the explicit mention of Israel in a UN resolution like this at a time when Israeli troops were carrying out what he called the "highest forms of terrorism" and "crimes against humanity" in Palestinian areas. The Syrian decision to vote against the resolution may also reflect concern that this could open the door for future resolutions condemning Palestinian attacks inside Israel every time one takes place. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 20:14 GMT . Bush to get
smallpox jab
. The US stopped
routine vaccinations 30 years ago US President George W Bush has said he will receive the same smallpox
inoculation he has now ordered for all military personnel.
But his wife and daughters will not get the jab, with the administration keen to persuade civilians there is no immediate threat of a biological attack and they do not need it. Mr Bush said US authorities had been preparing its options for a possible biological attack for a year and had stockpiled enough vaccine to protect the entire population. But though he said the smallpox virus could be used as "a weapon of terror" there was no evidence of "imminent danger". "Our government has no information that a smallpox attack is imminent, yet it is prudent to prepare for the possibility that terrorists who kill indiscriminately would use diseases as a weapon," Mr Bush said. Risks About 500,000 service people and US personnel in areas deemed dangerous will be at the forefront of the vaccination programme. And as there is a slight medical risk from the jab, Mr Bush said he would have it himself. "As commander-in-chief, I do not believe I can ask others to accept this risk unless I am willing to do the same. Therefore I will receive the vaccine along with our military.
"Given the current level of threat and the inherent health risks of the vaccine, we have decided not to initiate a broader vaccination programme for all Americans at this time. "Neither my family nor my staff will be receiving the vaccine because our health and national security experts do not believe vaccination is necessary for the general public." Jabs on demand Voluntary vaccinations would be available for medical and emergency staff who would be on the front lines of any biological attack. Citizens who wanted the inoculation despite the repeated assurances that it was not necessary would also be accommodated, the president said.
Based on studies from the 1960s, when inoculation was widespread, 15 out of every million people vaccinated for the first time will face life-threatening complications, and one or two will die. Therefore statistically, if the entire US population was vaccinated, the vaccine itself would kill just under 200 people. Smallpox was eradicated worldwide more than 20 years ago, but intelligence analysts believe that at least four countries, including Iraq, have illegal stocks of the virus. Routine smallpox vaccinations ended in 1972, meaning that nearly half the population is without any protection from the deadly virus - which has a mortality rate of about 30%. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 11:57 GMT . Canada
tobacco giants lose case
. Canada's three largest tobacco companies have lost a challenge
against new laws heavily restricting the marketing, advertising and sponsorship
of cigarettes.
The companies - Imperial Tobacco, Rothmans Benson and Hedges, and Philip Morris - had argued that Canada's Tobacco Act was unconstitutional because it limited their rights to do business and sell a legal product. But a judge at the Quebec Superior Court said the health risks posed by smoking justified putting labels on packages and restrictions on promoting cigarettes. The decision comes a week after the European Union agreed to ban most forms of tobacco advertising. Canada has some of the toughest regulations on tobacco promotion in the world. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 00:41 GMT . Embattled
Lott refuses to resign
.
The Republican
leader apologised for a third time Republican Senate leader Trent Lott has apologised again for remarks
he made that apparently condoned racial segregation in the United
States.
He said comments made at a celebration of fellow Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday were "unacceptable and insensitive".
His third public apology came the day after a rare rebuke for a Republican Party colleague from President George W Bush who called Mr Lott's comments offensive and wrong. Mr Lott said his off-the-cuff comments that the US would have been better off if Mr Thurmond had been elected president when he stood on a segregationist platform in 1948 were "a grievous mistake". He admitted that he should have been more careful, not just as a senior Republican, but as a representative of Mississippi which was a key battleground during the fight to end segregation and was the scene of the murders of four civil rights workers in 1963 and 1964. "I apologise for reopening old wounds and hurting so many Americans," Mr Lott said. "Segregation is a stain on our nation's soul. There is no other way to describe it," he added. Controversy set to continue Correspondents say Mr Lott hoped to bring an end to eight days of controversy since the birthday party, which was also attended by President Bush.
Mr Bush has not called for Mr Lott to quit and the senator said he had no intention of doing do. "I'm not about to resign for an accusation for something I'm not," he said at the news conference in his home town of Pascagoula in Mississippi. Senator Lott said he wanted a "colour-blind" society where everyone had the same opportunities to succeed as he had done, regardless of their race. He announced he would meet some senior figures from the black community next week for discussions on how African Americans can be encouraged to help themselves. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 04:04 GMT . Kissinger quits as 9/11 inquiry chief
. The
resignation is embarrassing for Bush Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has resigned as chairman
of a commission investigating events leading up to the 11 September 2001
attacks on the United States.
Mr Kissinger, who had been in the job for just 16 days, had been criticised for refusing to release the names of clients at his consulting firm. His resignation throws the inquiry into turmoil. It comes hard on the heels of the announcement earlier this week that the commission's vice chairman, George Mitchell, was quitting. The BBC's Tom Carver in Washington says the episode is enormously embarrassing for Mr Bush, adding questions will be asked about why possible conflicts of interest were not raised before Mr Kissinger's appointment. Controversial "It is clear that, although specific potential conflicts can be resolved in this manner, the controversy would quickly move to the consulting firm I have built and own," Mr Kissinger wrote in a letter to President George W Bush, who appointed him. "I have, therefore, concluded that I cannot accept the responsibility you proposed."
Although Mr Kissinger is one of the United States' best known statesmen, he was seen by some as tainted not only by his business dealings, but also by his involvement in murky periods of the country's history. In a statement, President Bush said: "It is with regret that I accept Dr Kissinger's decision to step down as chairman of the National Commission to investigate the events of 11 September 2001 and the years that led up to that event." He promised to pick a new chairman to help "uncover every detail and learn every lesson of 11 September, even as we act on what we have learned so far to better protect and defend America". Senator Mitchell is being replaced by another former politician, the Democrat Lee Hamilton. But correspondents say finding a new chairman with enough clout to do the job properly but no other baggage will be difficult. The 10-member commission has been given 18 months to examine issues such as aviation security and border problems, along with intelligence failures. It was given a broad mandate, building on the limited joint inquiry conducted by the House of Representatives and Senate intelligence committees. The commission was initially opposed by the White House but was set up following pressure from families of those who lost their lives in the attacks. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 09:03 GMT . Many
hurt in Colombia blasts
.
One of the
bombs targeted diners at a hotel At least 30 people have been injured in a series of bomb blasts in
the Colombian capital, Bogota.
Dozens of people were hurt when a bomb in a suitcase exploded in a restaurant on the 30th floor of a hotel.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe blamed that attack on left-wing rebels, whom he said were supported by "international terrorist organisations". "Some reports say the IRA [Irish Republican Army], other reports say [the Spanish separatist movement] ETA... they are carrying out these attacks against citizens in our country," the president said. Hotel rocked The blast in the towering Hotel Tequendama tore through the restaurant as diners watched a stage show.
"We were watching the show and then there was a terrible explosion," said Jorge Quintero, who was injured. The bomb shattered windows of the building, sending shards of glass onto the streets below. Television pictures showed victims, some covered in blood, being led away from the scene. The building is owned by the Colombian military, the AFP news agency reported. Booby-trap Hours earlier, another blast injured Senator German Vagas Lleras, a prominent supporter of President Uribe. Police say the senator triggered a bomb which was hidden in a book wrapped up as a Christmas present. Police are investigating how the book bomb passed through security checks without being detected. Senator Lleras, a nephew of former Colombian President Carlos Lleras, is an outspoken critic of left-wing rebels. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Thousands of people have been killed in violence linked to Marxist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and government forces in Colombia's 38-year-old civil war. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 15:07 GMT . Powell says reform Saudi Arabia's choice
. Saudi
Arabia has been accused of human rights abuses US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said
Saudi Arabia must "decide its own path" towards modernising its
society.
Speaking to the Arabic Al-Qods al-Arabi newspaper, Mr Powell said that while he respected Saudi culture, the desert kingdom "will have to start examining [its] traditions and ... practices to see whether or not change is appropriate".
The United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia has come under criticism recently amid claims Saudi Arabia is not doing enough to fight international terrorism. Washington has also been accused of ignoring human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia in order to preserve Saudi Arabia's help in opposing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Praise Mr Powell told Al-Qods al-Arabi he had talked about his initiative with a number of Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
The secretary of state said he was encouraged by reforms in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco, and said Saudi Arabia could follow their example or choose its own way. "Saudi Arabia will have to decide its own path, and I don't know if it will decide a path like any other nation in the region or it will design something that is unique to Saudi Arabia," French news agency AFP quoted him as telling the newspaper. "It is up to Saudis to decide how they wish to transform their society in order to make it prepared for the 21st Century," Mr Powell was quoted as saying. The secretary of state said that while America would not "dictate change", the US would like to "be able to influence how such reforms are going to be introduced as some of them could be better than others". Terror link America's relationship with Saudi Arabia has been strained since it emerged that 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States were Saudi nationals. Recently, the wife of the Saudi ambassador to America was accused of indirectly financing two of the hijackers. Saudi Arabia, which follows a strict code of Islamic law, has also been accused of widespread human rights abuses and denying basic civil liberties. There is no elected parliament or political parties, while human rights campaigners say arbitrary arrests and torture are sanctioned by the state. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 21:56 GMT . Venezuela leader vows to break strike
.
More
than 100 military officers joined the protesters The embattled Venezuelan President, Hugo
Chavez, has said he is ready to use foreign workers to re-start the country's
oil production, which has been paralysed by a general
strike.
The White House spokesman said elections would be the only peaceful and viable way out of the current turmoil. The strike has crippled the oil industry of Venezuela, which is the world's fifth largest exporter and a major supplier to the US.
But strike leaders - who accuse Mr Chavez of economic mismanagement and authoritarian rule - insist the protests will go on until the president resigns. Mr Chavez denies the allegations, saying his opponents are trying to stage a coup against him. Meanwhile, the Organisation of American States (OAS) has held a special meeting in Washington to discuss the situation. The OAS's head, Cesar Gaviria - who is Caracas to mediate in talks between the government and opposition - says no progress has been made so far. Violence continues President Chavez said using foreign workers would be a last resort, adding that he had already received offers from other members of the oil producing cartel, Opec. "I don't want it to get to that point, but if [the strikers] do not go back to work... then foreign workers will be brought," he said at the headquarters of the state oil company, PDVSA.
"If 80% of the strikers must go, then they must go. Everyone is for the restarting of Venezuela's oil production. The world is with Venezuela," the president said. The president's statement shortly came after another day of violence in the capital, Caracas. On Thursday, police fired tear gas to break up clashes between supporters and opponents of the president, amid reports that two policemen were injured. Mediators at the talks in Caracas have warned that the strike is affecting food supplies and could lead to riots and looting. US pressure The White House statement said the US was deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.
"We urge a peaceful, democratic, constitutional and politically viable electoral solution to Venezuela's crisis," the statement said. The BBC's Michael Buchanan in Washington says this is the Bush administration's strongest statement so far, but it realises it has little influence over President Chavez. Our correspondent says that Mr Chavez - with his trips to Iraq and Libya and his friendship with Cuba's leader Fidel Castro - has frequently angered Washington. A failed coup attempt in April further undermined American influence because of persistent rumours in Venezuela that the US tacitly approve the move. Washington has firmly denied this. But our correspondent says that with little progress between the government and the opposition, the US may feel that there is little to lose by publicly urging the Venezuelan Government to call early elections. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 08:44 GMT . US-China visit underlines thaw
. The
two countries have resumed military ties
The commander of US forces in the Pacific has arrived in China for the most extensive visit by a top US military leader since the collision of a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet a year and a half ago.
The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China has always been very positive towards relations between the countries' militaries. Strained past That is a far cry from a year and a half ago, when China accused the US military of repeatedly violating its sovereign airspace after the spy plane and fighter jet collided. And Admiral Fargo's visit is not the only sign of growing co-operation between the two militaries. Last week, a senior Chinese general, Xiong Guangki, visited Washington, and last month a US warship made a port call in China. That is not to say that the two militaries do not still have wide differences, particularly over the issue of Taiwan. But with the US preparing for a possible war in Iraq and with North Korea's admission that it has a nuclear weapons programme, both Beijing and Washington appear to have decided they need close consultation on all levels and that includes their militaries. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 16:30 GMT . Argentina in $1bn loan default
.
Starvation has been reported in some provinces Argentina will continue to default on $1bn of
debt owed to the World Bank, a move which will effectively isolate the country
from all major international lenders.
"We are not going to pay," cabinet chief Alfredo Atanasof told reporters.
Bankrupt Argentina, which is in its fourth year of recession, is now considered to be in the same league as Iraq and Zimbabwe in terms of defaulting on multilateral loans. It was once known as the bread basket of Latin America, but unemployment is now over 20% and there have been tens of deaths from starvation. Street protests are planned for 19 and 20 December to mark the anniversary of riots in which 27 people died last year. Debt fault The government said it would suspend payment of $726m (£441m) after talks with the International Monetary Fund for aid failed. It will also default on a $250m bond due on Monday that was guarantee by the World Bank. About $2.4m in interest is also due. "We're not saying the blame for what's wrong should be pinned on the fund (IMF)," Mr Atanasof said. "We assume the responsibility as a country... but what we are saying is the bureaucracy at the Fund has promoted the policies that put us in this situation." Argentina first defaulted with the World Bank on 15 October by making only a $79m payment on $805m that was due, which has now risen due to interest and other payments to $830.7m. The World Bank, which will now halt disbursement from $2bn of existing loans, had provided the last major credit line open to Argentina. The IMF halted loans to the country last December, resulting in the biggest default on foreign debt in history when Argentina in turn halted repayments on about $95bn of $141bn debt owed to private-sector creditors. The sticking points with the IMF include requests that Argentina increases the price of privatised public services and increases taxes. Lender's ratings The country has relied on World Bank money to help fund social programmes and finance businesses. Over the next 14 months, Argentina faced debt payments to international creditors totalling more than $16bn with reserves of only $10bn. The second high-profile default could also harm the World Bank and the IMF's reputations by threatening their creditworthiness. Bond-rating agencies rate the lender's bonds at the "blue chip" AAA level. But one of the biggest US pension funds, TIAA-CREF has already sold all of its World Bank bonds for what it described as economic reasons. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 11:52 GMT . IMF debt relief plan fails Uganda
.
Debt relief has made little difference in Uganda The IMF and World Bank's debt relief
programme has failed to reduce the debt of Uganda, the first country to qualify
for the scheme.
A Ugandan finance ministry official said the country's foreign debt was "unsustainable" five years after applying the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) policy.
Uganda's foreign debt has been growing by an average of $108m (£68m) annually over the past four years, Longino Tisasirana, the assistant commissioner in charge of the macro-economic department in the finance ministry, told the news agency AFP. "Figures indicate that our debt is unsustainable," said Mr Tisasirana. Uganda's foreign debt has grown from $3.4bn in 1998 to $3.83bn last June, even thought the country has received more than $1bn in debt relief. Zambia threat The HIPC scheme was set up in 1999 in an attempt to crack down on world poverty by 2015 and cut $70bn off the $214bn debt burden of the world's poorest nations. But it requires countries to implement radical privatisations and tax policies in exchange for lifting their debt burden. On Monday, the IMF said it would delay $1bn of debt relief to Zambia if the country failed to privatise the state-owned commercial bank. "If they don't sell, they will not get the money. Over $1 billion could be delayed," IMF resident representative to Zambia Mark Ellyne was quoted as saying. Mass opposition to the sale of the Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZNCB) has forced the government to put off the country's biggest privatisation. Debt deal Earlier this year a report by the two lenders found the HIPC programme was off track. Eight to 10 countries in the programme would still be in debt by the time it finished, according to the report. Weakness in the global economic environment and particularly low commodity prices on which most HIPCs depend, has made it even more difficult for countries to reach the targets set out, the report said. So far this year seven countries have had interim debt relief halted because of their failure to meet the IMF's targets. . BBC -- Thursday, 12 December, 2002, 23:40 GMT . Opec agrees to cut oil output
. Opec ministers are under great pressure The Opec cartel has agreed to reduce the
amount of oil it exports into the global marketplace in order to shore up
prices.
"All of them [cartel members] said very strongly they will comply and they will do it," said Qatari oil minister Abdullah al-Attiyah. It is the first time this year that Opec has decided to change its production quotas. And the decision is likely to anger consumer nations who fear that higher oil prices will harm the process of economic recovery. Imminent collapse? International oil prices soared following the cut. New York's light sweet crude for delivery in January rose 61 cents a barrel to $28.01 while Brent North Sea crude for January delivery leapt 60 cents to $26.85 a barrel.
But the cartel is worried that crude oil prices could collapse next year. Recently, the cartel has been struggling because many members are known to be producing much more than their quotas stipulate, in an attempt to increase their revenue. The risk in this for Opec - besides damaged credibility - is that so much more oil reaches the market that it pushes down prices sharply, possibly out of the cartel's preferred $22-28 a barrel trading range. Mixed message Saudi Arabia urged its fellow members to ensure greater discipline, thus restoring the cartel's credibility. As well as cutting output, the cartel has also agreed to raise its production quotas by 1.3 million barrels a day. Analysts said the combination of raising quotas but cutting output risked sending a confusing message to the markets. And some experts were already sceptical that all countries would stick to their promise. "Saudi is the architect of this deal and clearly will cut but will they get the others to comply," said Pira consultant Gary Ross. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 09:15 GMT . US dockworkers agree pay deal
.
The shutdown halted $1bn of imports a day US dockworkers' leaders have overwhelmingly
backed a deal to solve the dispute that crippled ports up and down the west
coast earlier this year.
Union negotiators have agreed a six-year deal to give workers higher wages and benefits, taking pay in some instances up to $90,000 (£57,000) a year. The contract still has to pass a ballot of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union's 10,500 members, scheduled for 24 January. But the near-unanimous backing of delegates after a four-day meeting is likely to persuade most members to vote in favour, observers believe. The 10-day stoppage in the autumn saw containers stacked high on shorefronts, ships by the dozen stuck at sea off the ports, and multi-billion-dollar slowdowns for businesses reliant on just-in-time imports of parts. Questions Before the meeting, there had been fears that changes to working practices demanded by the employers might scuttle the deal. While their east coast counterparts have long used computerised cargo tracking systems, the west coast ports are still using pen and paper. Moving the system to a paperless one was vital for employers, as was a change to the wage scale to widen the gap between low-skill dock jobs on one hand and skilled foremen and crane operators on the other. But after much debate the negotiators won the day. "There wasn't as much opposition as I thought there would be," said Steve Stallone, a union spokesman. "But there were lots of questions." . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 17:07 GMT . US shoppers in confident mood
.
Christmas sales are vital for the economy American consumers are feeling more confident
in the US economy, an influential survey has found.
People are proving more optimistic than economists had thought, raising hopes that shoppers will spend strongly in the run up to Christmas. The University of Michigan's survey findings are good news for an economy that relies heavily on consumer spending for growth. However, falling factory gate prices in November suggest that many US firms are worried that demand for their products remains weak. Producer prices suffered their biggest fall for six months in November, down 0.4%, according to data from the US Labor Department. Growth fears hit dollar The mixed picture of the world's biggest economy, came as gloom about the US economic outlook propelled the European single currency to a three-year high against the dollar. US President George W Bush's decision to replace his Treasury Secretary earlier this week was thought to have been prompted by concerns about the economy, as well as a desire for clearer policy presentation. Producer prices in November were pushed down by steep falls in the prices of vehicles, sports goods, telecoms equipment and, more positively, heating oil and gasoline. The price of sports goods dropped by a record 3.1% - breaking a 10 year winning streak. Auto prices suffered their steepest monthly fall in just over a year, down 3.6%. They last came close to such a big fall in October 2001, when the US economy was reeling from the shock of the attack on the World Trade Centre. Oil price rises curbed Energy prices dropped 1.8%, contrasting with a 4.2% rise in October, when oil prices rose on fears of conflict in the Middle East. However, US firms increased their stockpiles of goods in November by 0.2%, separate figures from the Commerce Department showed. Stockpiles had been run down so economists are inclined to see the build up as a sign of optimism about future demand. Consumer sentiment jumped nearly three points on the University of Michigan's index, to 87.0 points from 84.2 a month earlier. Economists were expecting gains, but on a more modest scale, with a consensus forecast of 85. The uncertain mood surrounding the US, and world, economy, sent US stock markets lower at the opening, though markets showed little response to the data. The tech-heavy Nasdaq was nearly 2% lower, and the broader Dow Jones index 1% lower by late morning in New York. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 16:20 GMT . Zimbabwe fuel crisis
escalates
.
Harare grinds to a halt as petrol runs
out Zimbabwe is close to running out of fuel,
despite government promises that there would be adequate supplies for
Christmas.
Some drivers are reported to be sleeping overnight in petrol stations in the hope of filling up their cars. The squeeze tightened after the state-owned newspaper, the Herald, reported that Zimbabwe is revamping its supply agreement with Libya, which has been providing most of its fuel. The contract between Zimbabwe and Libya has been threatened by Zimbabwe's inability to pay on time. Officials from Libya's Tamoil are currently in Harare to discuss setting up a new company with the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe, Noczim, which would give the Libyans more control of the distribution and retail of petrol. Local journalists suggest that Zimbabwe is trying to mortgage state assets in order to win access to Libya's fuel. Soaring prices Zimbabwe has suffered chronic fuel shortages for two years, caused by a severe lack of foreign currency and corruption at the state-run monopoly NOCZIM. Libya supplies 70% of Zimbabwe's petroleum-based fuels with the balance provided by the Independent Petroleum Group of Kuwait. Petrol is reportedly being sold on the black market for about 1,000 Zimbabwean dollars, ($18; £11) 13 times the normal pump price. Maintaining the fuel price is critical to the government's price freeze on basic commodities. Businesses have already complained that the freeze makes production uneconomical. A 70% rise in the cost of fuel last year sparked national protests backed by the opposition MDC labour movement. Currency crisis Zimbabwe is suffering its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980 and a lack of foreign currency has cause fuel shortages since 1999. The currency is officially valued at 55 Zimbabwean dollars to the US dollar but exchanges at 30 times that level on the black market. The shortage also comes despite reports that the government had paid for the country's December fuel allocation from Tamoil. Earlier in the week the newspaper quoted deputy energy minister Reuben Marumahoko blaming the fuel shortage on "technical problems" at neighbouring Mozambique's port of Beira, through which Zimbabwe is supplied. Tamoil reportedly wants to buy a 50% stake in an oil pipeline between Zimbabwe and Beira from NOCZIM. The other 50% is owned by Lonrho Africa. . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 17:15 GMT . Fog hampers sunken ship
salvage
.
The Tricolor is now lying on the seabed Thick fog is hampering efforts to salvage a
Norwegian carrier ship, which sank in the English Channel together with its
multi-million pound cargo of new cars.
Nearly 3,000 luxury cars - including BMWs, Volvos and Saabs - were being carried on board the Tricolor when it collided with a container vessel in the early hours of Saturday. The incident took place in thick fog in the English Channel, about 30 miles (48km) east of Ramsgate, Kent.
The Tricolor had been travelling from Zebrugge, Belgium, to Southampton with its cargo of 2,862 cars and 77 containers when it hit the container ship the Kariba. The car carrier had about 2,000 tons of oil on board, according to Lloyd's Casualty Reporting Service. Belgian coastguards said there was a slight leakage, but the Belgian sea rescue service said it was not aware any oil had spilled. The 24 crew members from the Tricolor abandoned ship and took to lifeboats after the collision at 0130 GMT. The Kariba, registered in the Bahamas, was severely damaged but was able to make its own way to the Belgian port of Antwerp. There were no reported casualties.
The Tricolor's captain and two officers were rescued by the Kariba while the rest of the mostly Filipino crew were picked up by a tug boat and have been taken to hospital in the French port Dunkirk. A UK coastguard spokesman said: "The car carrier quickly developed a 15 degree list and its crew abandoned the vessel." Warship at scene Lloyd's Casualty Reporting Service confirmed the 49,792-ton Tricolor had sunk and the 20,829-ton Kariba had been seriously damaged. The estimated value of the ship itself is £25.1m and the cargo between £25m and £31m. Per Ronnevigsaid, spokesman for the Tricolor's owners Wilhelmsen Lines said the ship and cargo owners would work with the insurers. But he said more information was still being sought on all the cargo and the exact value of the goods lost at sea.
Dover Coastguard said a Belgian warship, the Wandelaar, was in the area helping French coastguards to deal with the incident. A UK coastguard emergency towing vessel was sent to the scene along with other tugs. The Tricolor was initially only partly submerged because of a low tide. But it later disappeared from view. Mark Clark from Dover coastguard said: "The vessel is now down below the surface, it has obviously settled." UK coastguards said it was now up to the ship's owners as to what would happen to the vessel's cargo. The incident is being managed by the French authorities. A barrier is being put up around the wreck to contain any pollution. An inquiry will be launched by the French authorities into the cause of the accident. . BBC -- Friday, 13 December, 2002, 19:30 GMT . Europe's week in pictures: Dec 8 - Dec
14
. Copenhagen protests Anti-globalisation protesters demonstrated peacefully at the EU's
Copenhagen summit In Cyprus, thousands of Greek-Cypriots marched against the UN peace
plan in Nicosia.... ... As did their Turkish Cypriot neighbours, on the other side of the
Green Line It was revealed that the sunken tanker Prestige may continue to send
oil oozing into the Atlantic until 2006. French authorities started pulling down the infamous refugee centre,
as unregistered refugees staged a protest Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a referendum to pave the way
for new elections, as protesters called for peace
talks Former US President Jimmy Carter accepted the Nobel peace prize in
Oslo - he said the world had become a more dangerous
place . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 00:54 GMT . Vaccine boosted
by extra genes
.
Many vaccines use live
viruses Scientists may have found a way to make vaccines more effective by
building in a human gene that activates the immune system.
They are hoping that their discovery could boost the potency of jabs for both adults and children. Viral vaccines work by presenting a harmless version of the virus to the immune system to help prepare it for a genuine infection. The virus can either be dead, or "attenuated" - weakened so it cannot cause disease in humans. Attenuated vaccines work well because the immune system generates a more complete response if presented with a live virus as opposed to a dead one. Primed virus However, sometimes it is necessary to weaken the live virus so much that it no longer presents a decent target to the immune system. Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, US, believe they have found a way of priming the immune system to respond better even to the weakened virus. They do this by genetically modifying the virus so that it carries a human gene. This gene, called GM-CSF, is a growth factor that stimulates the immune system. Effective Monkeys inoculated with a modified virus produced between three and six times more antibodies than those given just the attenuated virus. Their results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the authors wrote: "Although the use of any new vaccine strategy raises safety issues, these can be addressed in additional studies in primates before the initiation of clinical studies." Dr Sam Hou, from the Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research in Compton, Berkshire, told BBC News Online that public acceptance of a genetically-modified virus would be one of the major obstacles to success. He said: "It's a great idea but there could be factors to do with safety." . BBC -- Saturday, 14 December, 2002, 14:28 GMT . Saddam
opponents seek united front
.
The Iraqi opposition
has suffered from infighting Iraqi opposition groups are meeting in London to try to overcome
their differences and map out a joint vision for a post-Saddam Hussein
Iraq.
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