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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.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email this ministry at thilts@help-for-you.com
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. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . . 3 Asian Airlines Announce Plans to Expand . Kate Pound Dawson Hong Kong 13 Jan 2003, 05:56 UTC   . Three Asian airlines announce plans to expand as the industry begins to recover from a slump. But the International Monetary Fund, however, warns that economic growth in Asia could easily be stalled this year. Malaysian Airline System has agreed to buy six super jumbo jets from the European-manufacturer Airbus. The passenger carrier is expected to pay about $1.5 billion for the jets. The first super jumbos should arrive in Malaysia in 2007. Airbus is still developing the A3-80 jets, which will be the biggest passenger planes in the world when they take to the skies in 2006. In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways says it is adding three nonstop flights to London each week starting in June. That will give it 21 nonstop flights, more than any other airline flying out of Hong Kong. Cathay's subsidiary Air Hong Kong also plans to buy six new Airbus jets so it can expand around Asia. The cargo hauler did not say how much it will pay for the jets, but did say it has an option to buy four additional aircraft. The expansions come as airline analysts in Asia say the region's stronger carriers are beginning to recover from the worldwide travel slump that began in 2001 with the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The International Monetary Fund, however, warns that Asia's economic growth, as well as the region's travel industry, could easily stall this year. IMF executive Thomas Dawson told journalists in Hong Kong that although most Asian economies are expected to grow by more than three percent, they could be impacted by pending factors, such as a possible war in the Gulf region, a continued U.S. economic slump or a return to recession in Japan. He says one of the greatest risks would be new terrorist attacks, like that one that killed almost 200 people in Bali last October. "Clearly the economic cost of dealing with the attacks is high, whether it's security surveillance, insurance premiums or whatever. Tourism, obviously, as well." In Singapore, there already are signs that economic growth this year may be fitful. The government reports that last year's bankruptcies soared to a 17-year high. Over 3,580 people filed for bankruptcy, up 11 percent from 2001. In 2002, 265 companies shut down, up five percent. Singapore's economy last year grew by about two percent, but the government warns the economy easily could slip back into recession.
. BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 16:48 GMT . At least 10
killed in Burundi attack
.
Rebels are supposed to
join a new army At least 10 people have been killed in Burundi during an attack on a
convoy of vehicles travelling towards the capital,
Bujumbura.
The attack is reported to have taken place at Kangunzi, 55 kilometres north-west of the capital. Most of the vehicles were buses, and there are reports that many passengers were injured. The army say they have been chasing rebels of the Forces for the Defence of Democracy (FDD) in the area. The FDD signed a ceasefire with the government in December, but a spokesman has denied his group is responsible for the ambush. Steal to survive The vehicles, which were travelling from Cibitoke to Bujumbura on Monday morning, were ambushed by unidentified armed men. "The rebels sprayed the vehicles with bullets to stop them, then they searched everyone for money, luggage and anything that could be taken away," a wounded survivor was quoted as saying by the French news agency, AFP. The BBC's Prime Ndikumagenge in Bujumbura says attacks like this are not isolated incidents.
He quotes rebels as saying they have to kill and steal to survive. The other main rebel group, the National Liberation Forces (FNL), have also denied carrying out the attack. But the FNL says breakaway elements of the FNL have mingled with Mayi-Mayi militias from DR Congo who have been launching raids in western Burundi. Peace talks In a separate incident, 40 fishing boats have been attacked by rebels on Lake Tanganyika, south of Bujumbura, AFP quotes a local official as saying. The rebels, who had come from the Democratic Republic of Congo in several dugout boats, stole engines, fishing nets and clothes from the crews. The official blamed the attack on Mayi-Mayi militias and FDD rebels. Meanwhile the chief mediator in the conflict, the South African deputy president, Jacob Zuma, has left for Ethiopia. An African Union meeting is due to be held in Addis Ababa on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Burundi. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 08:33 GMT . CAR 'is diamond
hub', says report
.
Conflict diamonds are
traded in Bangui, says report
Trading in diamonds used to finance conflict is in violation of international guidelines which came into force at the beginning of this year.
The report highlighting the situation in central Africa is part of a campaign by the lobby group Partnership Africa-Canada to strengthen the guidelines. Discrepancy The quantity of diamonds Belgium imports annually from the CAR is much higher than the African state officially exports, according to the report. "The Central African Republic exports officially $60m in diamonds. Belgium imports two to three times that," Brussels-based researcher Chris Dietrich says. "Last year it was only $100m but the year before it was $160m."
But the report notes links between arms dealers and diamond traders in both countries. All this reveals the strong likelihood that conflict diamonds from the DRC are being laundered through the CAR, it says. The report urges the Central African Government to stop the trafficking and implement credible, independent reviews of the situation. . BBC -- Sunday, 12 January, 2003, 08:35 GMT . Libya 'gives
US tips on al-Qaeda'
.
Colonel Muammar
Gaddafi is coming in from the cold Libya is exchanging intelligence about the al-Qaeda network with the
United States, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has said.
Osama Bin Laden is regarded as a prophet by many Muslims and has convinced his followers that the US is attacking the whole Islamic world, the Libyan leader tells Newsweek magazine in an interview. Colonel Gaddafi - who himself has been accused of sponsoring international terrorism - said there had been assassination attempts on his life by al-Qaeda members. Fight to the finish "[Fundamentalism] is a threat to all regimes in the region," he said.
"[Bin Laden] told them in the beginning that America's objective was not only Afghanistan. Now that there is a move against Iraq, it has proven bin Laden right," he added. Colonel Gaddafi also reiterated his opposition to a possible US-led war against Iraq. He said that while he had never agreed with Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader did not constitute a threat. "We don't know who poses a greater threat - the American president or Saddam Hussein," he said. "[Saddam Hussein] opened his country for full inspections. What more can he do? Now it is a fight to the finish." . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 12:55 GMT . Mugabe exit
plan 'wishful thinking'
.
Mr Mugabe has
governed since independence Reports that senior officials are making plans for President Robert
Mugabe's departure have been denied by Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF
party.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai had told the BBC he had been approached with an offer of talks from two of the most powerful figures in the ruling Zanu-PF party. He said, Parliamentary speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa and General Vitalis Zvinavashe, head of the armed forces, had wanted to discuss the possibility of forming a power-sharing government.
"The British would like to see that happening but it is not going to happen," he told a news conference. The BBC southern Africa correspondent Barnaby Phillips says it may be that Zimbabwe's desperate economic situation is pushing President Mugabe towards talks, but he says it seems extremely unlikely that he would contemplate handing over any power to an opposition which he views with contempt. Conditions Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, told the BBC's The World Today programme that he would be willing to consider an amnesty for Mr Mugabe as part of any possible deal. But he said the deal would have to involve Mr Mugabe's stepping down, an "end of lawlessness", and free and fair elections. He said his party was willing to negotiate with the government "provided Mr Mugabe stops the violence [against opposition supporters], stops politicising food distribution and returns the country to political normality".
"The people have to decide," he said. Peter Longworth, a former British High Commissioner in Zimbabwe, told the BBC he found Mr Tsvangirai's claims "very credible". He described Mr Mnangagwa and General Zvinavashe as "people who can deliver" a deal. Succession Mr Tsvangirai said the offer might be related to a power struggle within the ruling party. "The issue of succession [to Mr Mugabe] has not been resolved within Zanu-PF," he said.
The crisis was sparked by Mr Mugabe's programme of land seizures, and has been compounded by poor rainfall. Previous internationally-backed plans for Mr Mugabe to go quietly have been vehemently rejected by the Zimbabwean president himself. But our correspondent says it is likely he is aware of the alleged proposal. The 78-year-old leader, who was re-elected in March 2002, is due back in the country on Monday after a two-week holiday in Thailand. Talks between the MDC and Zanu-PF, brokered by Nigeria and South Africa, broke down in May last year after the opposition launched a legal challenge to President Mugabe's election victory alleging fraud. Mr Mugabe has said he will only step down when his land reform programme has been completed. From an original 4,000 white farmers, only about 600 now remain on their land. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 19:27 GMT . North
Korea hints at nuclear compromise
.
US envoy James
Kelly (l) renewed an offer of talks North Korea's ambassador in Moscow has suggested that Pyongyang might
reverse its withdrawal from a key nuclear weapons treaty.
But Pak Ui-chun said progress could only be made if the United States gave up what he called its "hostile" policy towards Pyongyang. He condemned US envoy James Kelly for saying that North Korea is developing a nuclear weapons programme.
But a BBC correspondent in Moscow said Mr Pak's comments could be leaving open a negotiated way out of the confrontation, even with the sabre-rattling. The Interfax news agency quoted Mr Pak as saying the question of rejoining the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - a pact designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons - "will be decided depending on the situation". Earlier Mr Kelly said the US could resume fuel shipments to North Korea, if there was a nuclear solution. North Korea maintains it needs to restart its nuclear plants to produce electricity - an argument dismissed by the US, which says Pyongyang has admitted developing weapons. 'Civilian use only' Mr Pak told Russian reporters that North Korea "was ready to prove" it was not developing clandestine nuclear weapons at the Yongbyon plant, which experts say can be used to produce plutonium.
He suggested that independent monitors might be allowed to scrutinise its operations. "If the United States renounces its hostile policies and nuclear threats against North Korea, then we do not exclude the possibility of proving - through separate checks conducted between the United States and North Korea - that we are not producing nuclear weapons," he was quoted as saying. Inspectors 'pressured' But there was no offer of a quick return for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who were ordered out of North Korea at the end of last year. Mr Pak accused the US of trying to pressure the nuclear inspectors and blamed Mr Kelly, the assistant secretary of state, for raising tensions.
Pyongyang's withdrawal from the NPT last week has been condemned by the international community. It has also been viewed as a possible escalation of the stand-off. In October, the US halted shipments of fuel oil - made under a 1994 deal which promised aid to end another nuclear row. But Mr Kelly suggested that "once we get beyond nuclear weapons, there may be opportunities with the US, with private investors, with other countries to help North Korea in the energy area". He was speaking after holding talks with South Korean leaders in Seoul. Mr Kelly also reiterated Washington's willingness to hold talks with North Korea, despite the new threats. Mr Kelly hinted at energy aid following an hour of talks with South Korea's President-elect, Roh Moo-hyun. He also met Seoul's Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 14:51 GMT . Africa
tackles trade reform
.
The meetings
have a pleasant setting US trade experts are meeting with their African counterparts to
thrash out controversial issues surrounding trade reform.
Some 300 delegates, including 40 ministers from 31 African countries are expected to attend the week-long meeting on the holiday island of Mauritius. The US has stressed that it wants to work with Africa in order to boost the poor continent's share of international trade. But the US team, led by Robert Zoellick, is almost certain to face a long list of complaints about the farming subsidies which keep African produce out of US markets. "The African producer is a farmer, he is a guy who suffers extremely as a result of the subsidies that are given to farmers in America," Vijay Makhan, head of trade and industry at the African Union, said ahead of the meeting. Protests banned The meeting follows the introduction in the US of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was passed by the US Congress in 2000. AGOA offers improved access to US markets to African countries abiding by certain conditions of market reform and good governance. It is estimated to have brought in foreign investment worth $1bn to Africa and has mainly been used to build textile factories. But only a handful of countries have managed to take advantage of the new system, with most unable to fulfil the necessary criteria. President George W Bush was originally set to attend this week's meeting, but has since pulled out due to the situation in Iraq. Anti-globalisation protests had been banned from the island, but a court ruled on Monday that protests are legal. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 00:45 GMT . AOL
Time Warner boss to quit
.
Case is seen
as the driving force behind the merger AOL Time Warner chairman Steve Case is to step down in May, following
pressure from shareholders.
Mr Case was seen as the driving force of the merger between internet service provider America Online and media giant Time Warner at the start of 2001.
The demise is because of the meltdown of the internet economy, the downturn in the advertising market and a federal investigation into AOL's accounts. Mr Case has been seen by some as being personally responsible for the company's failures, and he said his role as chairman had become a "distraction" for the company. 'Difficult decision' "Some shareholders continue to focus their disappointment with the company's post-merger performance on me personally," he said. "This decision was personally very difficult for me, as I would love to serve as chairman of this great company for many years to come." Mr Case's departure leaves the company in the hands of executives from the Time Warner side of the business. Former AOL Time Warner chief executive Gerald Levin - who was from Time Warner but a key player in the merger with AOL - has already left the firm. Filling Case's shoes A company statement said Mr Case would remain as a director with joint responsibility for corporate strategy. He said he had taken the decision "in the best interests of the company". A successor as chairman is not expected to be announced until the annual general meeting in May. But there is speculation that vice chairman Ted Turner, the firm's largest individual shareholder, will be offered the role. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 08:09 GMT . Bangladesh to sell off oil company
.
Bangladeshis depend on imported oil and gasoline Bangladesh plans to privatise its state oil
company, after controversially raising oil prices last week to cut losses at
the monopoly.
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation has said it made a loss of $500m (£311m) over the past three years by subsidising fuel.
The government increased prices by about 14% to allow the company to raise an extra $153m and reflect higher international oil prices. The main opposition political party Awami League has called for a general strike on 16 January. The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) has also protested against the rises because they will increase costs for the transport, agriculture and industrial production sectors. "Ordinary people will suffer because the hike will lead to increases in transport fares and cost of living,'' the DCCI said last week. Floating oil price Bangladesh also said it would introduce a floating oil price mechanism after the strong criticism of the rises. "The government is envisaging floating prices of fuel oils in open market relaxing state control that officials think would create certain distortions," Mr Hossain was quoted as saying last week. The government has been accused of only increasing prices but never lowering them. The minister also announced that an Energy Regulatory Commission would be set up by 1 July to independently set prices. Petrol now sells for 33 takas (56 US cents) a litre, up from 28 takas (48 US cents). . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 10:45 GMT . Investigators probe MobilCom founder
.
MobilCom
built up massive debts during the boom years German prosecutors are investigating Gerhard
Schmid, founder of the troubled telecoms company MobilCom, over a the gift to
his wife of 71m euros (£46.8m; $75.1m) in stock
options.
Kiel state prosecutor Uwe Wick said he was investigating the payment of stock options to Sybille Schmid-Sindran in 2001. Mr Schmid, who was sacked as MobilCom chairman in June, was forced in November to put his holding in the company into a trust. The deal cleared the way for a bail-out by majority shareholder France Telecom to proceed, and was a condition of a 162m euro short term loan by the German government. The latest revelation could put the bail-out in doubt. Trust nobody Last week, Mr Schmid said he would appoint a new trustee to oversee the couple's 42.4% stake in the company. But transferring control to another trustee would be contrary to the terms of the contracts underpinning the bail-out. The relationship between France Telecom and the Schmids are already strained over the stock options payment, which it said was illegal and started legal proceedings to recover in August 2001. France Telecom has taken over about 6bn euros in bank loans and waived a further 1bn euros of debt. MobilCom ran up heavy debts because of its third generation (3G) mobile phone networks. MobilCom serves roughly 5 million German customers, but is dwarfed by its rivals Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 17:58 GMT . Tobacco firm 'must pay' $1bn fine
.
UST
makes 'smokeless' chewing tobacco Tobacco manufacturer UST must pay $1.05bn
(£654m) for breaking competition law, the US Supreme Court has
ruled.
The award is the biggest in US anti-trust law history. UST was appealing against a court ruling in 2000 that found the company had engaged in anti-competitive practices, such as getting its staff to remove the sale racks of competitors' products from stores. The Supreme Court ruling comes as the tobacco industry is facing a series of costly lawsuits over the health implications of consuming their products. 'Smokeless tobacco' UST makes snuff and chewing tobacco, known as "smokeless tobacco". Smokeless tobacco is popular in the US and UST is the market leader - its brands include Skoal and Copenhagen. The product is chewed publicly in the US, for example by baseball players who spit the residue out on ball parks throughout the land. The original lawsuit against UST was bought by its closest rival Conwood. Conwood accused UST of, between 1990 and 1997, committing a variety of unfair practices, such as urging shops to remove Conwood display stands from stores. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 16:44 GMT . Wine giants uncork merger plans
.
"New
World" wines are growing in popularity Two big drinks firms are holding discussions
about a merger that could create the world's biggest wine
company.
US business Constellation Brands, whose wines include Ravenswood and Stowells of Chelsea, is considering a merger with Australia's BRL Hardy.
"Discussions with BRL Hardy regarding a possible transaction are taking place, but we have not yet reached agreement on a structure or transaction value," Constellation chairman and chief executive Richard Sands said. "Bringing together Constellation and BRL Hardy would create the world's largest wine business, with leading positions in the world's key markets." Cider and beer He said the tie-up would broaden the company's range of wines and enable it to emphasise the fastest growing category - "new world" wines from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Chile.
But Mr Sands said there were no assurances that any transaction would be agreed. BRL Hardy is Australia's biggest wine company and was formed in 1992 when Berri Renmano joined together with family-owned Thomas Hardy & Sons. Constellation Brands produces cider and beer as well as wine. In the UK it owns Matthew Clark, maker of Blackthorn cider. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 09:16 GMT . World Bank says West failing on debt relief
.
Western trade policies fail debt relief
"A case can be made that trade policies which seek to protect domestic producers of commodities in the developed world end up hurting poor countries which are receiving debt relief through another programme," said Mr Nehru. The developed countries are the key donors to the World Bank lending programmes. "I still believe there is scope for improving this (HIPC) programme," he said. Disadvantaged HIPC "forgives" the debts of poor countries in exchange for economic liberalisation, which often involves privatisations, the removal of trade barriers and reduction of domestic subsidies.
The US and European Union are leading backers of the World Bank and its programmes, but despite this maintain heavy subsidies for their own agricultural sectors. Such subsidies allow US and European farmers to overproduce and swamp the world markets with their produce, at the expense of poorer farmers from developing countries. 'Intolerable' debt Twenty-six of the world's poorest countries are at various stages of the HIPC programme and have had $42bn cut from their books, leaving them to service about $22bn, according to the World Bank. However, Uganda and Zambia have recently complained that despite HIPC they still have "unsustainable" and "intolerable" debt levels. "I don't think the HIPC programme can be faulted," said Mr Nehru. He blames these countries' lack of financial discipline and the international commodity markets for increasing their debts again after completing HIPC. "A significant part of the increase has be due to increased borrowing and a decline in export levels due to a decline in commodity prices on international markets," he said. More is less The HIPC programme aims to reduce debts to 150% of a country's export earnings. Uganda, which was held up as an model for other countries to follow after becoming the first to qualify for HIPC, is back above that level after completing the programme. Its foreign debt has grown from $3.4bn in 1998 to $3.8bn last June, even though the country has received more than $1bn in debt relief. "I think you have to interpret Uganda's figures with some care," said Mr Nehru. "Uganda's current debt-export ratios are below what they were before they joined but I absolutely agree are higher than where they were after they received irrevocable debt relief." No responsibility? Provisions have recently been introduced to give additional relief to HIPC countries when there are unanticipated or shock declines in commodity prices. But once countries like Uganda leave the programme, if their main foreign currency earning export crashes, then they are on their own. "The level to which debt is brought down once a country has gone through the HIPC programme recognises that countries... are likely to exceed [those debt levels], sometimes temporarily or for longer periods," said Mr Nehru. "To expect the HIPC programme to resolve that is unwarranted and unneeded, but it is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed," he said. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 06:48 GMT . European press review
.
A French paper worries the politicians
implicated in the Elf oil company financial scandal will never face justice
while a Hungarian daily is preoccupied with the Iraqi refugees seeking asylum
in the country.
Elsewhere, Turkish policy on Cyprus, the death of former Argentinean leader General Leopoldo Galtieri and the renaissance of a Swiss party also make the headlines. Dirty business France's Liberation looks ahead to a court case involving "some of the country's most eminent politicians" in financial wrongdoing surrounding the Elf oil company. The paper claims to have seen the conclusions of an inquiry which shows that "Elf has literally made a packet" for its successive political backers. But the inquiry does not say much about them,
it says.
"Above and beyond the former millionaire menials who will have to answer to the judges, there are some very respectable politicians... who benefited from misappropriations." The paper worries these will never be brought to justice. "All we know is that we won't find out." "Everyone is therefore free to think what they want, which is certainly not a good thing for the health of the democratic system," it concludes. "The Elf file confirms that the morals of banana republics acclimatize very well at our temperate latitudes." In search of asylum Meanwhile, in Hungary papers are concerned about the Iraqi immigrants seeking asylum in the country. "Iraqis flee from the war to Hungary," reads
the headline in Budapest's Nepszabadsag.
There were seven Iraqis among a group of 18 immigrants recently caught on the country's southern border, the paper reports. "They say they had to leave their country because of forced mobilization into Saddam's army," it adds. "They feel the war is imminent.. and they would like to live, rather than die. That is why they came to Hungary," the paper says. Wavering support Germany's Die Welt believes America's lack of direction in tackling North Korea's nuclear issue could lose it what friends it still has amongst Germany's conservative opposition. The paper points out that the Christian
Democratic Union, or CDU, and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, are having
second thoughts about their backing for the policies of US President George W
Bush.
"With little time to go before the regional elections," the paper says, "the Union does not want to have victory snatched away by Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-il or George Bush." Yet the paper believes the international community, with the US in the lead, must not fail to act. "Failure to stop such regimes now will have regrettable consequences later," the paper concludes. Turkish dilemma Another German daily, Der Tagesspiegel, views the likely impact of the Turkish Government's announcement of its new policy on Cyprus on EU enlargement. The daily believes that although Turkish
Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash remains opposed to a UN plan for reunification,
many Turkish Cypriots are in favour.
"The Turkish Cypriots no longer want to sacrifice their chance of joining the EU to the national cause," the paper says. "They are striking back". "They want to build a mountain of plastic bottles with appeals for peace in front of Rauf Denktash's residence," it says Death of a "dictator" Paris's Le Monde looks back at the life of the former Argentinean military ruler, General Leopoldo Galtieri, who "launched his country into a disastrous war with Britain to try and get back the Falkland Isles". As "one of the key men in the bloody dictatorship" which ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983, he was "the symbol of a regime under which 30,000 people either died or disappeared. He was tried for crimes against humanity in 1985, but only went to prison, after another trial, for his "incompetence" during the Falklands conflict, the paper recalls. Swiss "renaissance" Geneva's Le Temps welcomes the election of Christiane Langenberger as the leader of Switzerland's Radical Party - the first woman ever to hold the post - as "a historic move" and "renaissance". The paper says the Radicals had reached a low point in recent months as they were "hooked on the unique question of how to distance themselves from the far-right Swiss People's Party, or the UDC". "Christiane Langenberger was certainly elected because she clearly refused any dishonourable links with the UDC, but perhaps more so because she gave back to the party a prospective future," the daily says. The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 10:24 GMT . Mother's high fat diet damages child
.
A healthy diet is important during pregnancy Women who eat a high fat diet during
pregnancy may be increasing the risk that their child will develop heart
problems in later life, research suggests.
Researchers found that rats fed a diet rich in lard - and similar to that provided by an over-reliance on fast food - were more likely to produce offspring that developed cardiovascular problems.
Their offspring were fed a normal healthy diet, and were closely monitored for changes to their heart rate and blood pressure. By middle age, both male and female offspring showed signs of blood vessel damage, with abnormal levels of fat in the blood. High blood pressure was only recorded in female offspring. Important implications The researchers, who were funded by Tommy's, the baby charity, and the British Heart Foundation, said their findings have great implications for mums-to-be. A diet that is too high in fat is a common problem among expectant mothers, particularly in the West. Dr Paul Taylor, of Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Research Unit at St.Thomas' Hospital, London, said: "We have shown that a typical Western diet high in animal fat (e.g. 'fast food'), eaten during pregnancy can permanently "programme" metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities in the developing foetus. "Despite normal diet throughout life the adult offspring develop disease profiles typical of Western societies including abnormal blood lipids [fats], insulin resistance, and hypertension. "If applicable to human pregnancy the "foetal programming" of adult disease by maternal dietary fat intake will have major implications both for our understanding of the causes of cardiovascular disease and for public health in general." Dr Taylor said the results showed that female children might be more vulnerable than boys to the effects of too much fat in their mother's diet. He said it was possible that a high fat diet led to cardiovascular problems by triggering the release of high levels of stress hormones in the developing foetus. Stress hormones have been linked to problems with growth. It is recommended that fat should account for no more than 30% of the calories contained in a daily diet. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 16:44 GMT . Blair vows to disarm Iraq
.
UN weapons inspections have found nothing so far British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he
is committed to disarming Iraq through the United Nations.
He said he was convinced that the UN Security Council would back military action against Iraq if it breached the UN resolution requiring it to give up weapons of mass destruction. "If there is a breach, we would expect the United Nations to honour the undertakings that were given, and to make sure that the will of the United Nations is upheld," Mr Blair told a London news conference. However, he said the United States and Britain reserved the right to act if any Security Council member attempted to impose a "unilateral bloc" on military action by using its veto. Baghdad denies it has banned weapons, but the US is building up its forces in the Gulf to back the threat of military action unless Iraq disarms.
Mr Blair said he had "no doubt" that Saddam Hussein was attempting to rebuild his alleged nuclear, biological and chemical weapons arsenal. But the Iraqi leader still had the opportunity to avoid war, the prime minister said. "Even now, Saddam should take the peaceful route and disarm," he told his monthly press conference. "If he does not, however, he will be disarmed by force." Not taking action against weapons proliferation would play into the hands of terrorists seeking weapons of mass destruction, Mr Blair insisted. And he attempted to counter the anti-war statements of some members of his own political party, asking: "Are people really saying that if there's a breach of the UN resolution, then no action will follow?" UN weapons inspectors in Iraq are due to report to the UN Security Council on 27 January - a date seen as key by some within the US administration. But Mr Blair said he did not want to place arbitrary timescales on the work of the inspectors in Iraq.Meanwhile, the US military has said that its planes have attacked an anti-ship missile launcher in southern Iraq because it posed a threat to Western naval shipping in the Gulf. The US Central Command said precision weapons had been used to hit the launcher near the port of Basra. There are no reports of casualties. 'Weapons hidden' Earlier, a senior US official bluntly warned Iraq that if it did not surrender weapons of mass destruction, it would face military action. The head of the US Defense Department policy board, Richard Perle, told the BBC's The World Today programme that UN inspectors currently scouring Iraq had no chance of finding weapons because they had been hidden.
Mr Perle said that Saddam Hussein was already in material breach of UN Security Council resolutions because he was hiding weapons that he was required to surrender. "It seems to me that either Saddam will turn over these weapons at the very last minute or there will be military action." Mr Perle said the evidence against Iraq lay in the discrepancy between the amount of weapons known to have been produced and what has so far been destroyed. "We must assume that what is unaccounted for is hidden," he said. Inspections International Atomic Energy Agency Director Mohamed ElBaradei has said that UN inspectors need "a few months" to decide whether or not Iraq has a secret weapons programme. Mr ElBaradei, speaking in Paris, was responding to an earlier statement from an IAEA spokesman that a credible inspection of Iraq would take about a year.
"We need to take a few months... how long depends on the co-operation of Iraq," he said. "There is an understanding in the Security Council that 27 January is an update report." In Iraq, UN inspectors visited at least six more sites on Monday, including a missile factory at Falluja, west of Baghdad, and two science faculties in the capital. Mr ElBaradei and chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix are due to visit Baghdad next weekend to discuss gaps in Iraq's arms declaration. Weapons experts from the IAEA and the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (Unmovic) have made hundreds of visits since returning to Iraq in November. . BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 20:14 GMT . In pictures: Military build-up in
Gulf
.
The United States is deploying a massive
military task force to the Gulf, in preparation for a possible confrontation
with Iraq. Its closest ally, Britain, is also increasing its
presence.
American forces are training near to the
Iraqi border Kuwait is one of the likely launch-pads for
any invasion of Iraq Military hardware is being transported to the
region from across the globe Tens of thousands of American troops are also
on their way to the Gulf The British aircraft carrier Ark Royal is
taking on stores ahead of sailing to the region as part of a naval task
force
. BBC -- Monday, 13 January, 2003, 17:04 GMT . Comet chaser seeks
launch
.
A rocket failure cast a shadow on the Rosetta
launch Europe's ambitious mission to land a probe on
the surface of a comet is likely to launch on 22 January.
Scientists working on the Rosetta mission told journalists in London on Monday they were hopeful of meeting the date - or one just a few days later. A final decision is expected in the next 48 hours. "I h | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Central African
Republic exports officially $60m in diamonds. Belgium imports two to three
times that 
