www.gulf-daily-news.com Vol XXV   NO. 315      Wednesday      29 January 2003 By ROBERT SMITH MANAMA

A TEAM of UK government volunteers will be set up to handle the evacuation of Britons from the Gulf in the event of a war with Iraq.

The special crisis unit will co-ordinate with airlines to ferry British citizens who want to return to their home country.

A British Foreign Office spokesman yesterday told the GDN it was a routine step to take in the event of an emergency.

Only last week British citizens were evacuated from Venezuela, which is on the brink of civil war as it attempts to quell a growing nationwide strike movement in support of socialist President Hugo Chavez.

"No decision has been taken to launch military action in Iraq," said the Foreign Office spokes-man.

"But it would be irresponsible not to plan for such eventualities.

"In any consular situation, we would make use of a pool of Foreign Office volunteers and people from other government departments to handle the situation.

"It does the kind of work you would expect in an emergency. If there is military action we would set up such a unit.

"This is something we set up in any crisis, but we have to think about the implications from what might happen in Iraq.

"We will also take into account the terrorist threat."

There are currently just under 7,000 Britons registered in Bahrain and approximately 100,000 throughout the Gulf.

A British newspaper reported this week that a 60-strong squad of civil servants had already been picked out to staff a consular crisis centre.

It said the team was expected to be operational for just three weeks and would liaise with embassies and airlines to organise the evacuation of British nationals living in the region.

However, the Foreign Office spokesman denied the unit had already been established and refused to speculate on how long it would be operational for.

On Monday, the British Embassy reminded Britons to register at its offices in Manama so they can be contacted quickly in an emergency.

Advice

The Foreign Office spokesman also suggested they pay close attention to travel advice issued by the British government.

"People should keep a close eye on any travel advice issued for the region," he said.

"But we are not planning any evacuation at this stage."

Meanwhile, the US State Department has already advised Americans around the world to be prepared for emergency evacuations in the event of unforeseen circumstances, including war.

All US embassies and consulates worldwide are sending warden messages to American expatriates with advice on preparing themselves for an emergency.

A US embassy spokeswoman in Bahrain also advised American residents here to register with the embassy.

"We always tell US citizens to register," she said. "Anybody who registers is assigned to a warden and are much easier to contact."

A German Embassy spokesman said there are no current plans to evacuate German citizens in the event of a war.

But he added that circumstances would dictate any such decision.

"It is very hard to say at present," said the spokesman. "So far there is no war. If there is we will have to decide according to the situation.

"It is impossible to say now."

www.sfgate.com Tuesday, January 28, 2003

(01-28) 16:49 PST MEXICO CITY (AP) --

Mexican stocks closed little changed Tuesday, posting marginal losses as investors took a cautious stance ahead of U.S. President George W. Bush's State of the Union address.

The market's key IPC index closed down a modest 3.63 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 5,919.70 points. At the end of 2002, the IPC stood at 6,127.09.

Volume improved to 75.4 million shares worth 949.4 million pesos, compared with Monday's light 48.1 million shares worth 572.4 million pesos.

Investors were looking to Bush's State of the Union address late Tuesday for any details regarding military buildup in the Middle East and the economic status of Mexico's top trading partner.

Among individual issues, market bellwether Telmex L shares closed up 0.4 percent, or 7 centavos, to 16.57 with 7.5 million shares traded. Its wireless sister company America Movil L shares rose also 0.4 percent, or 3 centavos, to 7.59. Among top losers was conglomerate Grupo Carso A1 shares, down 4.6 percent to 24.10 pesos.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Brazilian stock prices ended flat Tuesday, with many traders sitting on the sidelines and waiting for the State of the Union address from U.S. President George W. Bush. The speech is expected to signal a timeline for a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Local assets have slipped over the past two weeks on war worries. That trend continued Tuesday with the main Sao Paulo index losing 0.12 percent to 10,516 points.

Among stocks, steel maker Gourd's shares lost 1 percent to close at 29.50 reals despite estimates the company will close the year with 850 million reals in net profit.

Bellwether Telemar's shares finished virtually unchanged at 26.14 reals, while Bardes bank's shares lost 0.9 percent after the financial services giant said it would acquire the Brazilian asset management arm of JP Moorage Chase. Oil giant Petrobras lost 1.3 percent to 44.65 after several weeks of gains on rising petroleum prices.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- Chilean share prices closed higher in a technical bounce Tuesday after several losing sessions, with the market awaiting U.S. President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech for further direction.

The blue chip IPSA index ended up 0.7 percent at 988.84 points, from 982.17 Monday. The broader-based IGPA index edged up 0.2 percent to 4,956.17 from 4,948.75.

Volume totaled 5.86 billion pesos, compared with 5.79 billion Monday.

Chile's particular exposure to a conflict lies in its position as an importer of more than 80 percent of its crude oil, and due to the potential slowdown to growth a war might inflict on its main industrialized trading partners, hitting Chilean exports.

Among individual shares, utilities holding Enersis rebounded 3.3 percent to 59, while its Endesa Chile unit climbed 1 percent to 184.90 pesos.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- The Venezuelan stock market ended mostly unchanged Tuesday in thin trade.

The IBC General Stock Index closing 1.5 percent higher at 8,983 points.

Telephone giant CA Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela, or CANTV, ended 6 percent higher at 3,205 bolivars, on a rough equivalent of about ,000 in volume.

The stock exchange, which reopened for the first time Monday since the beginning of a two-month general strike, will operate for only 2-1/2 hours each day to continue showing support for the strike.

Strike leaders have refused to call off the action until President Hugo Chavez, whose term runs out in 2007, agrees to early elections.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Argentine stocks closed higher Tuesday, with the Merval index registering a 1.5 percent increase to end at 555.46 points, compared to 548.19 points on Monday.

A total of 32 shares finished higher, 17 ended lower and seven were unchanged on a total volume of 29.13 million pesos.

asia.reuters.com Tue January 28, 2003 09:05 PM ET By Pascal Fletcher

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition offered on Tuesday to ease their 8-week-old strike by exempting education and food production as the government prepared to introduce a fixed exchange rate to counter the economic impact of the shutdown.

Although oil workers were maintaining their crippling stoppage in the world's No. 5 petroleum exporter, opposition leaders were rethinking their grueling campaign to try to force President Hugo Chavez to hold early elections.

With the oil-reliant economy reeling, Chavez's government has cut budget spending and suspended currency trading to halt capital flight while it prepares to introduce foreign exchange controls next week.

Finance Minister Tobias Nobrega said late on Monday the government was considering a single fixed exchange rate.

Two days before the arrival in Caracas of a six-nation delegation which will lend its weight to peace efforts, opposition negotiators said they were prepared to halt the strike in the sensitive areas of education and food output.

"Our proposal is we should lift the strike in these two sectors as a gesture of goodwill," Timoteo Zambrano of the opposition Coordinadora Democratica group told local radio.

The government and the opposition resumed talks Tuesday on the timing of elections in negotiations chaired by Organization of American States Secretary General Cesar Gaviria. "I can't say we're close to an agreement but it's certainly been the most fruitful session we've had so far," Gaviria said.

Nobrega has extended the suspension of foreign exchange trading for another week. Government and banking sources said the currency control mechanism being discussed foresaw a single exchange rate lasting for four months, adjustable monthly, to be followed by a dual rate.

PESSIMISM OVER CONTROLS

Analysts said the currency controls might initially stem capital flight, but they would also add to the economic turmoil by pushing up prices and encouraging corruption and the creation of a black market.

This occurred in Venezuela in 1994-96. Other previous experiences in Latin America with currency controls had rarely provided lasting solutions to economic emergencies, they said.

Opposition leaders fear the government will use the measure to punish striking firms by restricting access to dollars.

In recent weeks, support for the strike has slipped and many shops, restaurants and businesses have reopened. Private banks were due to meet on Wednesday to decide on returning to normal opening hours, a government source told Reuters.

Opposition leaders are debating easing the stoppage in some non-oil areas to give hard-pressed private businessmen and consumers a breather after 58 days of a protest that has triggered an economic crisis but failed to oust Chavez.

"This strike has not failed. It will never fail," said anti-Chavez union boss Carlos Ortega. But he acknowledged that the opposition was studying "new strategies."

Chavez has said the exchange controls were necessary to counter he called an "economic coup" being attempted by rich opponents of his self-styled "revolution."

The government and private banks were discussing fixing an exchange rate somewhere between a minimum of 1,500 bolivars and a maximum of 1,850 bolivars to the U.S. dollar. The bolivar closed a week ago at 1,853 bolivars to the dollar.

Besides slashing oil exports, the shutdown has caused unprecedented shortages of gasoline and some food items. Despite complaints from parents, private schools and universities have also joined businesses in staying closed.

Chavez has refused to negotiate with strike leaders and has used troops to partially restore oil production.

Envoys from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Portugal are due in Caracas on Thursday to support efforts by OAS chief Gaviria to broker a deal on elections.

Rejecting calls for early elections, Chavez insists his foes must wait until Aug. 19, halfway through his current term. After that date, the constitution foresees a binding referendum on his rule, which is scheduled to last until early 2007.

Opposition leaders say the nation cannot wait until August. They are collecting signatures for a constitutional amendment to trigger early elections, an option proposed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who is backing the peace talks. (Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez, Silene Ramirez)

www.newsmax.com Tiana Perez, NewsMax.com

Editor's note: Tiana Perez, NewsMax's correspondent in Venezuela, will offer occasional dispatches on the turmoil in this crucial part of the world.

Chavez Accused of Terrorism, Crimes Against Humanity

Jan. 28: Spanish lawyer Luis Garcia Perulles has confirmed that a complaint has been filed at the National Spanish Council against president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez alleging crimes against humanity, violation of human rights and terrorism.

The action has come as a result of the death of José Antonio Gamallo, a Spanish citizen who was transported to Spain after having been seriously wounded during the protests that preceded the attempted coup on April 11, 2001.

The massive protest attended by more than 1 million people in the center of Caracas left a death toll of 17, leading to a trial and hearings at the National Assembly that lasted for more than one month. Lawyers representing the dead protesters did not accomplish more than a political discussion at the National Assembly despite having presented video proofs of Chavez backers and members of the government shooting at the peaceful crowd.

The hearings, which had as their high point the disclosure of recorded phone conversations by senior military officials between the president and members of the armed forces at Miraflores, the presidential palace, show that Chavez had ordered to unleash the “Plan Avila” on the morning before senior military officials asked him to resign.

The “Plan Avila” is a contingency plan designed to suppress civilians and foresees the seizure of the street by tanks and the armed forces. Gen. Rosendo, who was put in charge of the plan and one of the disclosers of this information at the National Assembly, considered the plan an unjustifiable atrocity toward the unarmed protesters and did not proceed to carry it on.

Following the inability of the Venezuelan judicial system to resolve the case, the lawyers representing Gamallo have taken the complaint to the international arena.

"The Venezuelan State is doing everything possible to obstruct the approval of judicial decisions,”[1] said Garcia, one of the lawyers, in reference to the proceedings caused by the events on April 11th.

He assured that the filing of the complaint accusing the government of terrorist activities before the Spanish judicial authorities was based on evidence about the redirection of funds to terrorist groups’ accounts. Garcia explained that his evidence included audiovisual material that would be evaluated by the assigned judge.

When consulted about the judicial proceedings that will be launched in Spain, Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel declared "this shows gross ignorance about what a state of law is. It is important to exhaust all national judicial resources before an international action is started. Secondly, I think it reveals a complete lack of imagination and sense of responsibility.”[2]

He charged that the ones who should be put on trial were those who sabottaged the oil industry, disrupted two months ago with the beginning of the general strike against President Chavez's rule.

PDVSA, the state oil company, remains occupied by military forces and is operating with 5,000 employees less, who had resigned and left their posts as a protest against an increased politization of the company. Meanwhile, oil exports have been restored to about one-third of usual daily production of 3.1 million barrels.

[1]: www.globovision.com, Jan. 28 [2]: El Universal, Jan. 28

www.newsmax.com Tiana Perez, NewsMax.com

Editor's note: Tiana Perez, NewsMax's correspondent in Venezuela, will offer occasional dispatches on the turmoil in this crucial part of the world.

Chavez Accused of Terrorism, Crimes Against Humanity

Jan. 28: Spanish lawyer Luis Garcia Perulles has confirmed that a complaint has been filed at the National Spanish Council against president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez alleging crimes against humanity, violation of human rights and terrorism.

The action has come as a result of the death of José Antonio Gamallo, a Spanish citizen who was transported to Spain after having been seriously wounded during the protests that preceded the attempted coup on April 11, 2001.

The massive protest attended by more than 1 million people in the center of Caracas left a death toll of 17, leading to a trial and hearings at the National Assembly that lasted for more than one month. Lawyers representing the dead protesters did not accomplish more than a political discussion at the National Assembly despite having presented video proofs of Chavez backers and members of the government shooting at the peaceful crowd.

The hearings, which had as their high point the disclosure of recorded phone conversations by senior military officials between the president and members of the armed forces at Miraflores, the presidential palace, show that Chavez had ordered to unleash the “Plan Avila” on the morning before senior military officials asked him to resign.

The “Plan Avila” is a contingency plan designed to suppress civilians and foresees the seizure of the street by tanks and the armed forces. Gen. Rosendo, who was put in charge of the plan and one of the disclosers of this information at the National Assembly, considered the plan an unjustifiable atrocity toward the unarmed protesters and did not proceed to carry it on.

Following the inability of the Venezuelan judicial system to resolve the case, the lawyers representing Gamallo have taken the complaint to the international arena.

"The Venezuelan State is doing everything possible to obstruct the approval of judicial decisions,”[1] said Garcia, one of the lawyers, in reference to the proceedings caused by the events on April 11th.

He assured that the filing of the complaint accusing the government of terrorist activities before the Spanish judicial authorities was based on evidence about the redirection of funds to terrorist groups’ accounts. Garcia explained that his evidence included audiovisual material that would be evaluated by the assigned judge.

When consulted about the judicial proceedings that will be launched in Spain, Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel declared "this shows gross ignorance about what a state of law is. It is important to exhaust all national judicial resources before an international action is started. Secondly, I think it reveals a complete lack of imagination and sense of responsibility.”[2]

He charged that the ones who should be put on trial were those who sabottaged the oil industry, disrupted two months ago with the beginning of the general strike against President Chavez's rule.

PDVSA, the state oil company, remains occupied by military forces and is operating with 5,000 employees less, who had resigned and left their posts as a protest against an increased politization of the company. Meanwhile, oil exports have been restored to about one-third of usual daily production of 3.1 million barrels.

[1]: www.globovision.com, Jan. 28 [2]: El Universal, Jan. 28