Introduction
The world mass media has become an integral part of our everyday life. The fact is that, every agency represents the news in some particular angle, while in order to get the full image it is necessary to review several sources. Thus, the current paper is aimed to analyze two events of world significance, and how these events are presented in two sources.
Iran Test-Fires new Missile
American News
TEHRAN — The Iranian military has test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles designed for defensive purposes, television reports said Wednesday.
The New York Times states, that Iran has test-fired new ground-to-ground missiles. “The new missile announced Wednesday is called the Sejil and used solid-fuel propellants, the government’s English-language Press TV said on its Web site and in a scrolling headline.” Analyzing this article, it is necessary to mention, that it does not reveal any anxiety of the US government of the fact of testing such powerful weapons. The USA, as the world policemen, initiated the imposing of sanctions upon Iran, and the fact of testing new missiles cannot be left unmentioned. (Westard, 2008) However, correspondents emphasize, that the range of the missile is enough for targeting the territory of Israel. “At the time, state-run media said the missiles were long- and medium-range weapons, and included a Shahab-3, which Tehran maintains is able to hit targets up to 1,250 miles away from its firing position. Parts of western Iran are within 650 miles of Tel Aviv.” (Fathi, Cowell, 2008).
In the context of the Middle East conflict, this massage sounds rather terrifying, as the breakthrough in the arms races may result in the following aggravation of the conflict. Moreover, many sanctions are imposed on Iran for the suspicion in Uranium procession, so these test-fires may be regarded as the threat to violate the world safety (Fathi, Cowell, 2008).
Press TV (Iranian News agency)
Iran has successfully test-fired a new domestically-designed and -manufactured missile in line with enhancing its combat capabilities (Press TV, 2008).
Iranian agency reports that the fire-tests were held during an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) military drill in the border city of Marivan in the Western province of Kurdistan, Iran. “Iran says its ballistic missiles, such as the advanced Shahab-3 capable of hitting targets within a range of 2,000 kilometers, are intended for defensive purposes.”Iranian government openly proclaims that Iran has ballistic missiles, and the successful launch of the ballistic missile caused anxiety among American and Israeli militaries. Minister of Defense of Israel Ehud Barak stated, that Tel-Aviv is convinced, that Iran goes on elaborating nuclear weapons. (Press TV, 2008)
Iran, in its turn does not threaten anyone, but warns, that in case of coming under attack by either the US or Israel, it will target 32 American bases in the Middle East as well as the heart of Israel. These test-fires are regarded to be not simply tests, but the allegation, that Iran has necessary means to defend its territory and citizens in the case of external attack.
The context of these news messages is that Iran is under suspicion of elaborating the nuclear weapon, and the test-fire of the missile that is able to carry the nuclear payload has worried the world community and Israel in particular.
The fact is that, there is restricted number of nuclear states in the world. These are the states, who grant the world safety, and who promised not to use or retort to the threat of using the nuclear weapon to achieve the fulfillment of their requirements. Iran is engaged in the Middle East conflict, and the threat of use nuclear weapons is rather high. Consequently, there is no need to change the world order, and increase the number of nuclear states.
France Boosts Spending on Military
The Washington Post
”The French government decided Wednesday to increase military spending by an average of $1.8 billion a year as part of an effort to field a trimmer but better-equipped army to safeguard France’s role in world affairs”. (Cody, 2008)
This decision by Nicolas Sarkozy is regarded to be rather actual, as the august crisis in South Ossetia showed that the world safety is not stable, and the institutions, responsible for the safety granting and conflict prevention are not efficient. The world leading countries go on defending their own national interests in spite of the dissatisfaction of the world community. Europe, in its turn, appeared to be weak, and could not prevent the indirect confrontation of Russian and American interests in the Caucasian region. The decision to increase the military expenses sounds rather optimistic, especially on the backdrop of European decision to unite the military structure of all the EU members. The details of this decision are unknown at the moment, but it is obvious, that the most powerful states would have more influence on the decisions if this single structure.
Alongside with this decision, Sarkozy that “European countries, including France, dispatch a military force to Congo to work alongside U.N. peacekeepers trying to end the spiraling conflict there”
iReport
This news agency starts the article with the fact, that “Intelligence gathering has been identified as a major gap among the 3,000-member French military contingent in Afghanistan”. It also mentioned, that Sarkozy, soon after his appointment, increased the military expenses for the missions in Afganistan. In this context, the decision to boost spending on military forces looks like either inclination to militarism, or real anxiety of the world safety image. The latter sounds more neutral, and actual, as the world safety is really endangered, and the unstable peace in Middle East and Caucasian regions may cause troubles for all the EU members (refugees, acts of terror and others). (iReport, 2008).
“In spite of the crisis, we will not touch defense funds,” Defense Minister HervĂ© Morin said in an interview with the Figaro newspaper. “France wants to maintain a strong foreign policy. For its voice to be heard, it must be a credible military power.” This statement is regarded as the strong desire of France to restore its status as the Super Power, and there are all the chances to do that (Robin, 1999).
Conclusion
The world events are not accidental, as all of them have the background and some previous events. The fact that Iran test-fires new missiles, is valued as the effort to defeat Israel in the conflict, and the Mass Media represent it only under this angle. On the other hand, France decides to increase its military forces, and constantly leads the forks to improve the military potential, but no one tries to accuse it in militarism or possible aggression.
References
- Cody, Edward. France Boosts Spending on Military, Washington Post Foreign Service.
- Fathi, Nazila and Cowell, Alan. Iran Reports New Missile Tests. The New York Times.
- iReport. France Boosts Spending on Military.
- Press TV. Iran test-fires newly-designed missile.
- Robin D.G. Kelley. A Poetics of Anticolonialism. Monthly review press. New York. 1999
- Westard, Arne. The Global cold War. Cambridge University Press.