Military

SHAPE News Morning Update

16 July 2004

AFGHANISTAN

• The UN Security Council said it “welcomes and supports” Afghanistan’s decision to hold the country’s first direct presidential election on Oct. 9, calling it “a new milestone” on the country’s road to democracy. The council noted the commitment by NATO, the United States and others to establish “a secure environment” for elections and called for increased security assistance to Afghanistan. It also acknowledged the EU’s intention to help the election process and called on donors to provide additional contributions to meet the election costs. (AP 160025 Jul 04)

IRAQ

• A bloody spate of suicide bombings, hostage-takings and beheadings in Iraq has rocked the U.S.-led coalition, prompting the Philippines to pull out its tiny contingent. The violence - and the growing hesitation of many countries to send soldiers - led Iraq’s new premier to issue a plea for help on Thursday from nations with large Muslim populations including India, Pakistan and Egypt. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said he also was looking for soldiers from Bangladesh and Morocco, apparently hoping the Islamic insurgents targeting Western forces and civilians would be less likely to attack Muslim troops. Mr. Allawi said in an interview with Associated Press Television News in Baghdad that he was turning to “our neighbours and brothers in the Islamic world to close ranks to fight terrorism.” But there were no immediate takers, and at least one polite rebuff from mostly Muslim Malaysia, which said it probably won’t dispatch troops to Iraq. (AP 160221 Jul 04)

OTHER NEWS

• China has kicked off war games simulating an invasion of Taiwan and military chief Jiang Zemin has vowed to recover by 2020 the democratic island Beijing claims as its own, Beijing-backed Hong Kong newspapers said on Friday. The week-long land, sea and air exercises started on Dongshan island off China’s south-eastern coast in the first half of July after months of preparation, the Ta Kung Pao newspaper said. About 18,000 troops are taking part in the exercises, which will aim for the first time to demonstrate air superiority in the Taiwan Strait, the newspaper added. The period “before or after 2020 is the time to resolve the Taiwan issue,” military chief and ex-Communist Party chief Jiang told a recent expanded meeting of the Central Military Commission, the decision-making body of the People’s Liberation Army, the Wen Wei Po newspaper said. (Reuters 160313 GMT Jul 04)
  
  
• The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday defeated a bid to trim military aid to Egypt that opponents said could undermine White House policies in the Middle East and disrupt Israel’s planned withdrawal from Gaza. The bill contains US $1.3 billion in military aid for Egypt and US $535 million in economic assistance. “In Egypt we have an ally that can help us in war and peace,” Colin Powell wrote. “Our credibility in this relationship depends to a great degree upon being a reliable provider of assistance to the Egyptian military,” he said. Egypt has contributed to U.S. objectives in the region including the War on Terror and the reconstruction of Iraq, he added. (Reuters 152154 GMT Jul 04)