In U.N. Coverage, Local Politics Counts
In the global online media, the speeches of presidents George W. Bush, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and Hugo Chavez dominated coverage of the U.N. General Assembly -- but not always and not everywhere.
A look at how world leaders made headlines after their appearances at the U.N. session...
Europe: Teetotalers Cross Swords
EuroNews, a French TV channel, said "Bush and Ahmedinejad cross swords."
"The US is at the forefront of calls for sanctions to be imposed if Tehran continues to stall over the UN's demands. But, with international backing for punitive measures looking increasingly shaky, George W. Bush stressed that he would prefer the crisis to be solved diplomatically."
But Liberation, the Paris daily, emphasized President Jacque Chirac's speech (PDF) was probably his last before the international body.
"The last of the Gaullists strove to show a host of other leaders that France still has a universal message to
deliver," said Liberation.
The Times of London noted the lengths to which Bush and Ahmedinejad went to avoid each other. Apparently intrigued by the concept of an abstemious politician, the British daily noted about the only thing the U.S. and Iranian leaders have in common: neither drinks alcohol.
The Italian news agency ANSA highlighted President Romano Prodi's speech, in which he called attention to an unusual development: Italy's leading military role in the U.N. peacekeeping mission taking shape in southern Lebanon.
The Moscow News reported how Ukraine is using the New York conclave to push for a U.N. resolution accusing Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin of deliberately instigating a genocidal famine in Ukraine in the early 1930s.
"Ukraine has the support of several nations and [Ukraine Foreign Minister Boris] Tarasyuk will use the two-week annual UN General Assembly event now under way to canvass dozens more, he said in an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday."
The Middle East: Duel or Dud?
Turkishpress.com depicted "Bush and Ahmedinejad in U.N. duel."
» Video excerpts and full text (PDF) of Ahmadenijad's speech
» Video excerpts and full text (PDF) of Bush's speech
But there was no "duel" in the Iranian state-controlled Iranian media -- the Islamic Republic News Agency published Ahmedinejad's speech in full.
The editors of the Iran News dismissed Bush's speech as "the reiteration of previous allegations, threats and inaccuracies about the Islamic Republic." The "cold-hard reality," they say, is that "Iran is a regional power and it will not be denied its rights. In addition, we are a great nation with a gloried history and civilization. The world must bow to the just demands of our country."
A story in Aljazeera.net, news site of the Arab cable news network, emphasized the emerging alliance of Iran and Venezuela, dubbing them "the axis of the south."
"Venezuela has been working hard to win a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council in this week's secret vote by member countries. Simultaneously, Iran is seeking votes at the Security Council which could help stop the international body from taking action against it for its nuclear activities."
A commentary in the Jordan Times slammed the veto power of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members as an "undemocratic" arrangement that leaves the other 187 member states as bystanders only.
In Israel, the only Middle Eastern country where Bush is popular, his speech about spreading democracy was panned by Shmuel Rosner of Haaretz.
"In Jerusalem and Washington, diplomats were scratching their heads yesterday trying to figure out what Bush meant in practical terms," he wrote. "If it contained one lesson, it would be in its total focus on the Middle East. Not one word about China, North Korea, Russia or Venezuela -- important countries with which the U.S. has its differences. Not a word about the UN itself, and the reforms that were already implemented and those still ahead. Bush wants the world to assist with his Middle East project, and now is not the time to make him mad," said Rosner.
Africa's Favorite Son
The Accra Daily Mail highlighted the speech of President John Kuofor, especially his praise of the world's best known Ghanian, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.
In Kenya, the Nation reported that Bush had expressed concerns about Kenya's stability in a discussion with the president of Tanzania on Monday. The east African nation has struggled with corruption scandals and human rights abuses.
"Instability talk by Bush baffles Kenya team to UN," said the Nairobi daily.
Asia: Within Reach
All of Pakistan's leading news sites gave top billing to President Pervez Musharraff's declaration that a solution to the conflict between Pakistan and India in Kashmir was "within reach."
The Indian press ignored his oration (PDF). On the subcontinent, The Hindu focused on the efforts to push approval of a U.S.-India nuclear technology agreement in the U.S. Congress.
In China, the People's Daily focused more on Ahmedinejad's defense of his country's nuclear program than on Bush's denial that the West is at war with Islam.
South America: 'Between the Devil and God'
In Latin America, Chavez's description of Bush as "the devil" made news from Argentina to Mexico City.
In Venezuela, Chavez's critics in the anti-government media were not impressed. Tal Cual (in Spanish), a Caracas daily that is often critical of Chavez, headlined its story, "Between the Devil and God," with the implication that Chavez conceives of himself as the latter.
When Chavez proposed restructuring the United Nations and relocating it to Venezuela, the Caracas daily said, "there was no shortage of laughter."
El Universal (in Spanish) downplayed Chavez's "devil" remark and played up his criticism that "the United Nations system does not work."
Chavez's ally, Bolivian president Evo Morales, made news by displaying a coca leaf during his speech, saying the "plant is part of the Andean culture, it represents the environment and the people's hope."
Morales "wondered why the coca leaf that Coca Cola uses is legal, while it is considered illegal for other uses like medicine," according to Prensa Latina, the Cuban news agency.
A commentator for Bolpress, a Bolivian news site that often supports Morales, said his defense of coca was the most persuasive part of a "monologue" otherwise full of "confused thoughts always superficially expressed."
In neighboring Chile, La Nacion gave top billing to President Michelle Bachelet's speech in which she recalled the 1976 assassination of diplomat Orlando Letelier, a critic of the country's then-military regime.
Chile, she said, "was a country that had learned from its past" and would always "be in the first line of the diplomatic trenches in defense of human rights."
By Jefferson Morley |
September 21, 2006; 10:41 AM ET
| Category:
Global
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Posted by: Anagadir | September 21, 2006 12:02 PM
There are so many angles to this story that you could write a book. What we are seeing in for what al-Jazeera called the Axis of the South is two very different societies coming together to defend their national interests. We are looking at practical politics instead of Ideology, which is the rational way to conduct foreign policy. We are looking at a Christian Socialist working in partnership with a Conservative Muslim. We see no war of Ideology between the East and the West in this relationship. Is this relationship unusual? Not in the least! Christian America has had a very long partnership with the Conservative Sunni state of Saudi Arabia. As with this Axis of the South, this partnership was based on practical politics and not on Ideaology. However, besides oil, both countries were anti-Communist and cooperated in various actions such as a supporting role in the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and Iran/Contra in Nicaragua.
What is interesting about Chavez is he has allies on both the right and the left, that is to say Iran and Cuba. Again, we are looking at three different countries pursuing their national interest.
As with the Former Soviet Union, Bush is pushing an ideaology against many states, and is not pursuing America's national interest. By way of contrast, Russia is no longer burdened by an ideaology which it must push on the rest of the world, and it can pursue a more rational foreign policy based on it's national interest.
Looking at these relationships, it is obvious that no one should lump all countries together under one label. Each country has it's own national interest which cannot be ignored.
Posted by: P. J. Casey | September 21, 2006 02:43 PM
As I said, you can write a book based on these Articles. As with the U.S.and the Sunni states, Chavez faces some risk in this close association with Iran. Iran is a Shia state, and is regarded as an enemy by some Sunni interests. He should also build similar relationships with Sunni states, and stay out of the Sunni/Shia controversy.
Unlike the U.S., which is up to its neck in that controversy because of Iraq. Today CNN reported that al-Qaida had taken over the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. We have a real can of worms there, and we need the cooperation of both the Sunni and Shia states to get us out of Iraq and stabilize that country. Forget Europe, we need local people to solve local problems.
Despite the divide between the Sunni and Shia, they also have a common enemy in al-Qaida. Like the Soviet Union and the Bush Administration, al-Qaida is driven by an ideaology, which threatens both Sunni and Shia states. It seeks to form a caliphate from Bagdad to Spain. At least on a temporary basis, It is in their national interest to cooperate in defeating al-Qaida. The U.S. needs to forget about the Axis of Evil and concentrate on al-Qaida. We need these people, as we have needed them since 9/11, but, instead created a mess in Iraq.
Posted by: P. J. Casey | September 21, 2006 04:14 PM
The President's critics who say he has done nothing to bring Muslims and Christians together are wrong. Without Mr Bush, we would never have seen this unusual embrace between Catholic Venezuela and Shiite Iran.
Truly, the Decider is also a Uniter.
Posted by: OD | September 21, 2006 04:28 PM
Yes, and one day he will unite all of our enemies against us, and America will be even more detested and isolated than it already is.
How very clever of you, George.
You've made our nation despised the world over.
Posted by: Anthony | September 21, 2006 09:59 PM
Would you rather have lunch with Hugo Chavez or Bob Ney?
Posted by: Reynolds | September 23, 2006 04:25 PM
"A Daily Survey of What the International Online Media Are Saying"
No, a daily survey comes out daily. Why lie to your readers before you write anything.
Posted by: | September 25, 2006 02:31 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
It is intersting that NY City Mayor Bloomberg was all the way in LA these past couple of days. Perhaps indicative of the unimportance of UN Meetings. Also intersting that Iran and Venuzuela leaders used New York to be heard and seen and used that location to express their disgust with the USA. Perhaps next time Bush can go to their countries and try out free speech there. All-in-all, I'm happy to be in New Jersey.