Student’s Blog

The most discussed topics of last days are Caspian Sea summit and visit of Russian president Vladimir Putin to Iran in order to negotiate with Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

All events are very important because touch upon many different issues, such as a status of Caspian Sea and its division between 5 states (Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan), Iranian Nuclear Program, etc. Furthermore, this summit attracts attention of world community because of report published by Interfax news agency about possible assassination of Mr.Putin in Iran.

Division of Caspian Sea is problem that has been debated since 1992 after collapse of USSR when 15 Soviet Republics got independence. As a result, agreements concerned the sea between Iran and USSR that were signed in 1921 and 1940 could not be used any more.

Nowadays, Caspian Sea is the place that is interested by not only countries of the seashore but also Western companies which, according to Continent magazine, control 27% of oil and 40% of gas deposits of this sea; and EU and USA that negotiate with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to build trans-Caspian oil and gas pipelines which will go round Russia.

These facts are very important because Russia and Iran do not support creation of any new pipeline and carry on negotiations with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to prohibit any international companies to take part in oil and gas extraction (Ria News).

Arrival of Vladimir Putin to Iran is not less important that the summit because it is the first visit of Kremlin leader since Tehran conference between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill in 1943. Moreover, Iran and Russia are very interested in this meeting because have many mutual interests, such as building of nuclear station in Bushehr, peaceful solution of Iranian nuclear problem, etc.

Iranian politics have high expectations about this visit. Iranian newspaper Resalt said: “Iran can use the visit to lobby for getting our nuclear dossier out of the UN Security Council and Russia can strengthen its opposition to the USA through boosting ties with Tehran.” Furthermore, RiaNews writes that this meeting can help to develop relations between Russia and Iran.  Nevertheless, BBC considers Iran and Russia do not have good relations and Iran is partner whose actions are not predictable. Moreover, BBC published words of Abbas Maleki, chairman of the International Institute for Caspian Studies in Tehran who said: “From the Iranian side I want to say that we want to work with Russia as a big power, as a neighbor, and as a country with some technologies that Iran needs. But at the same time Iran doesn’t trust Russia as a country that can defend Iranian national interests.” Furthermore, as BBC states that these countries could not find mutual understanding because one of them- Iran- is the Islamic Republic, another- Russia- is country where during about 70 year any form of religions was banned. Nevertheless, BBC forgot that “only thanks to Iran that was in the chair of Organization Islamic Conference during very critical moment for Russia, this organization agrees, “Chechnya is internal affair of Russia””(RiaNews).

Visit of Vladimir Putin was darkened by sensational report that was distributed by Interfax about “possible assassination of Mr. Putin in Iran”. Many world newspapers, TV channels and agencies immediately spread this news and gave their own suppositions about aim of this report.  In spite of the warning President of Russia did not cancel his trip, moreover he said: “Of course I am going to Iran. If I always listened to all various threats and the recommendations of the special services I would never leave home.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said: “ …disinformation spread by adversaries hoping to spoil good relation between Russia and Iran” (AP). Moreover, according to RiaNews that published information American analytical center Stratfor, Iran is not interested in death of Mr.Putin who are very important person for its. Furthermore, RiaNews writes that if information about assassination of Russian president was true, it has never appeared in the press. Furthermore, this report attract attention of world community to the summit and this is situation also is not profitable for USA.

Berlin, the 5^th of September. The main news of that day of many channels and newspapers was the arrest of 3 terrorists who are going to commit “massive” terrorist attack in public places and strategic objects of Germany.

All mass media, which published information about that event, gave their own details. As a result, it leads us to investigate all differences and similarities of articles of such sources of information as “Washington Post”, “The Times” newspapers and CNN and BBC TV channels.

Articles that we investigate in this essay have many similarities and differences in such facts as quantity of terrorists, place of their training, belonging to terrorist organizations, targets of the attack, key ingredient of bomb and place of event, etc.

Newspapers and TV channels that considered here asserted on Tuesday it was arrested exactly 3 men who are suspected in organization of bomb attack in Germany. Furthermore, “The Times”, “Washington Post” and BBC argued 2 of arrested terrorists are Germans and one of them is a Turk. However, CNN did not say anything about nationalities of these men and asserted only that it was “three Islamic militants”.

No any doubts that the main targets of this terrorist attack can be military strategic objects such as Ramstein Air Base, Frankfurt Airport and places mostly attended by American citizens.  We can make such conclusion because all mass media’s articles considered in this essay confirm this information. For example, BBC said: “…the men were planning attacks against a US military base in Ramstein and Frankfurt airports”; “Washington Post ”: “…Ramstein Air Base, a major U.S. and NATO installation, and Frankfurt international airport ranked high on the list of site under consideration”. BBC announced: “…to target facilities visited by Americans, such as nightclubs, pubs or airports”.

The most contradictory information concerns key ingredient of the bomb and its quantity. “Washington Post” and “The Times” claimed that it was hydrogen peroxide. BBC mentioned it as “chemicals for explosive” and CNN said nothing about component of the bomb. Furthermore, such newspaper as “Washington Post” asserted that terrorists had more 200 gallons of explosive, another, “ The Times” wrote that this quantity was equal to 750 kilograms or 1,650 pounds, and BBC said – 700 kg. 

“The Times” and “Washington Post” unanimously claimed that those militants belong to The Islamic Jihad Union and had training in Pakistan. BBC also argued that the terrorists are members of The Islamic Jihad Union, but it said nothing about place of their training. Moreover, CNN had not any information about belonging of them to any terrorist organization and determined them as “Islamic militants”.

“Washington Post” and BBC asserted that terrorists were arrested on Tuesday in the rented house in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. “The Times” argued that it was happened “on the borders of the state of Hesse”. CNN again gave no information that concerns place of event.

Some newspapers and TV channels such as “Washington Post”, “The Times” and BBC gave more detailed information about arrested terrorists. First two mass media mentioned above published the same names of terrorists: Fritz G., Adem Y., and Daniel S., but ages of suspected men are different. “The Times” and BBC argued that Fritz G. is 28-year-old, Adem Y. is 29 and Daniel is 22. “Washington Post” asserted that age of Adem Y. is 28, Daniel S. is 21 and Fritz G.is 28. CNN did not give any information about these details.

“The Times”, “Washington Post” and CNN told that operation in order to prevent the bomb attack has been started long before the arrest on September 5, but every mass media gave its own date of start and period. For instance, “The Times” said: “Three men…were arraigned…after a nine-month police operation.” CNN argued: “The arrest in Germany are linked to a threat first reported several month ago…” “Washington Post” asserted: “…tracking of the cell began in earnest this spring…”

All these newspapers and CNN TV channel agreed in one fact that this operation was controlled by American and Germany agents. For example, “Washington Post” said: “The U.S. contribution was mostly electronic intercepts, while the Germans handled operations on the ground…” CNN announced: “The United States has been working with the Germans since the “earliest stages of the investigation””. “The Times” in spite of very scant information about participation of Americans in this operation, also confirm this fact. But BBC TV channel said nothing about this collaboration.

One of the arrested terrorist, according to “The Times” and BBC is “an active member of a mosque in Ulm”, which has been suspected as base of terrorists for a long time. “Washington Post” and CNN TV channel announced nothing about it.

In conclusion, articles of newspapers and TV channels investigated in this essay have similarities in such facts as numbers and names of arrested terrorists, targets of the attack, participants of operations, etc.

Differences are found out in information that concerns key component of bomb, quantity of explosive, ages and nationalities of terrorists, belonging to terrorist organization, date of start and period of anti-terrorist operation.