German Chancellor Merkel said that Germany's growth and prosperity depended on its readiness to be engaged internationally, in cooperation with the EU and NATO, and in the face of challenges such as Kosovo and Iran. "The classical division between inner and foreign policy is outdated," wrote Angela Merkel in an op-ed piece, published in the German business daily Handelsblatt on Firday, Dec. 28. "We must make sure that we -- as European and Atlantic partners -- show solidarity for each other and that we don't let anybody drive a wedge between us."
"The classical division between inner and foreign policy is outdated," wrote Angela Merkel in an op-ed piece, published in the German business daily Handelsblatt on Firday, Dec. 28.
"We must make sure that we -- as European and Atlantic partners -- show solidarity for each other and that we don't let anybody drive a wedge between us."
but on matters of wider generality there are huge differences of opinion and advantage between US & European positions. No third party put that wedge there, it is a result of distinct requirements that are in natural opposition. Indeed there are issues wehre a European and Russian alliance of interests makes more sense than an Atlanticist one.
So I ask again, who is she aiming this at ? Seems like she's trying to appease an atlanticist position within her constituency, particularly in the wake of the differences of opinion with her coalition partners. Or is she softening up opinion for a much more concerted altanticist propaganda effort in the run up to the NATO conference. keep to the Fen Causeway
SAMOS TOWN, Greece: On three Greek islands so close to Turkey that there are no international waters between them, migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Lebanon, Eritrea, the Palestinian territories and Iran furtively land, and the islands are buckling under the strain. Six men and a woman crouch in the dark against the wall of the coast guard headquarters. An officer wearing camouflage barks questions in rudimentary English: "Name? Papa? Age?" With a show of fingers they indicate their years: between 20 and 27. "Country?" He shouts louder when they don't understand. Five say they are from Afghanistan, two from Palestinian areas. Then he lines them up in the roadway and marches them along the waterfront.
SAMOS TOWN, Greece: On three Greek islands so close to Turkey that there are no international waters between them, migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Lebanon, Eritrea, the Palestinian territories and Iran furtively land, and the islands are buckling under the strain.
Six men and a woman crouch in the dark against the wall of the coast guard headquarters. An officer wearing camouflage barks questions in rudimentary English: "Name? Papa? Age?"
With a show of fingers they indicate their years: between 20 and 27.
"Country?" He shouts louder when they don't understand. Five say they are from Afghanistan, two from Palestinian areas. Then he lines them up in the roadway and marches them along the waterfront.
Bilateral relations between Switzerland and the European Union changed little in 2007 despite a highly publicised disagreement over Swiss tax practices. But tensions could rise in the new year if Swiss voters are called to the polls to decide whether to extend a free movement of people accord to the latest EU members, Romania and Bulgaria. 2007 was a "transition" year, according to René Schwok, political science professor at the European Institute of Geneva University."The year was to a certain degree abnormal: No key agreements came into force and no initiatives on EU themes were launched," Schwok told swissinfo."The only important issue was the dispute over corporate tax breaks offered by some Swiss cantons."
But tensions could rise in the new year if Swiss voters are called to the polls to decide whether to extend a free movement of people accord to the latest EU members, Romania and Bulgaria.
2007 was a "transition" year, according to René Schwok, political science professor at the European Institute of Geneva University.
"The year was to a certain degree abnormal: No key agreements came into force and no initiatives on EU themes were launched," Schwok told swissinfo.
"The only important issue was the dispute over corporate tax breaks offered by some Swiss cantons."
On 5 June 2005, Swiss voters agreed, by a 55% majority, to join the Schengen treaty, a result that was regarded by EU commentators as a sign of support by Switzerland, a country that is traditionally perceived as isolationist. The agreement should come into effect in November 2008.
It's annoying and I don't like border controls anyway, but that's the way it works. We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
Implementation is down to the member states. We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
Some of the smaller ones you just drive or walk through, sometimes they are not even maned. The one at the autobahn, has sort of a custom control, but usually they just wave you through. I can not remember the last time I have been checked.
The French look at you severely, but wave you through most of the time also and again smaller crossings are most of the time not manned.
Maybe Italy just needs to find jobs for the border police and the Swiss border is the last remaining land border that can be manned. We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo
up to a short while ago, traveling to Italy through the Great St.Bernhard has been easy,
As for blocking illegal exportation of capital such as mafia laundering or Berlusconi shadey deals, it's usually left to police intelligence.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that heading off the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran, with tougher sanctions if needed, remains a "vital interest" for the world community, according to a report Thursday. Iran's nuclear program is "one of our biggest security policy concerns," Merkel wrote in an article for the daily Handelsblatt, which the newspaper posted on its Web site ahead of print publication on Friday.Germany, along with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, has played a leading role in addressing worries over Iran's nuclear work.Earlier this month, an American push for new sanctions was dampened with the release of a new US intelligence report concluding Iran had halted a nuclear weapons development program in 2003 and had not resumed it since.Merkel did not refer specifically to that assessment, but wrote that "it is dangerous and still grounds for great concern that Iran, in the face of the UN Security Council's resolutions, continues to refuse to suspend uranium enrichment," Handelsblatt reported.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that heading off the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran, with tougher sanctions if needed, remains a "vital interest" for the world community, according to a report Thursday. Iran's nuclear program is "one of our biggest security policy concerns," Merkel wrote in an article for the daily Handelsblatt, which the newspaper posted on its Web site ahead of print publication on Friday.
Germany, along with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, has played a leading role in addressing worries over Iran's nuclear work.
Earlier this month, an American push for new sanctions was dampened with the release of a new US intelligence report concluding Iran had halted a nuclear weapons development program in 2003 and had not resumed it since.
Merkel did not refer specifically to that assessment, but wrote that "it is dangerous and still grounds for great concern that Iran, in the face of the UN Security Council's resolutions, continues to refuse to suspend uranium enrichment," Handelsblatt reported.
Thus nuclear Iran is a security issue, but not the one everybody thinks - or pretends to talk about. Again, I'll repeat my theory that the real game on Iran and nuclear is containment of the current US administration.
Come 2009, the topic will still exist, but will (hopefully) make a lot fewer headlines. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
I have gradually come to realise that our polictical classes must be some of the worst informed political junkies going. Example after example proves they don't know anything except what their minions and flunkies tell them. And if the flunky feels there will be problems in contradicting policy with reality, the lords and masters never get told about it.
Still, it goes to prove that,despite the NIE, Bush hasn't changed the policy, else UK & Germany would have laid off the war drums.
Which suggests that maybe war will be arranged to give the GOP a good bounce coming into the post-primary presidential season. Suddenly 9ui11iani seems like a good long-odds bet. keep to the Fen Causeway
Judging by my own personal experience of the difference between public announcements in Iran about projects and the actual reality, I doubt whether Iran would ever be able to progress to a nuclear weapon without significant foreign assistance.
Iran suffers from a cosmic level of public managerial incompetence: much worse than the UK, and that is saying something. "Any economic unit can emit money. The serious problem is to get it accepted" Hyman Minsky
Six French aid workers who were jailed in Chad on child trafficking charges have returned to France. The six were sentenced to eight years' hard labour in Chad on Wednesday for attempting to kidnap 103 children. The four men and two women from the French charity Zoe's Ark arrived at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, where they were met by French police. France struck a deal with Chad, requesting that the six serve their sentences in their home country. The aid workers insisted they were trying to evacuate orphans from Darfur.
The six were sentenced to eight years' hard labour in Chad on Wednesday for attempting to kidnap 103 children.
The four men and two women from the French charity Zoe's Ark arrived at Le Bourget airport outside Paris, where they were met by French police.
France struck a deal with Chad, requesting that the six serve their sentences in their home country.
The aid workers insisted they were trying to evacuate orphans from Darfur.
de Gondi:
Large explosion in a commercial center in Moscow... by de Gondi (publiobestia aaaatttthotmaildaughtusual) on Thu Dec 27th, 2007 at 03:30:54 PM FWT [ Reply to This | ] Re: Benazir Bhutto killed in suicide attack (none / 0) Link? Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.Reality has a well known liberal bias. by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Thu Dec 27th, 2007 at 03:38:27 PM FWT [ Parent | Reply to This | 4-Excellent ] Re: Benazir Bhutto killed in suicide attack (none / 1) RSS feed www.agi.it/estero from agency Ria-Novosti. Link.
Reality has a well known liberal bias. by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Thu Dec 27th, 2007 at 03:38:27 PM FWT [ Parent | Reply to This | 4-Excellent ]
But no other media would corroborate it at that time. Until yesterday:
THE EXILE - Moscow Explosion: Firecracker or Bomb?
A bomb exploded this evening in the Okhotny Ryad shopping mall next to Red Square. Authorities are trying to downplay the explosion, calling it "mere hooliganism" and the bomb a "firecracker." But the explosion shattered glass and other structures, and rattled buildings for several blocks around. Our designer, who was working at an office on Kamergersky Pereulok several hundred meters from the blast, was even thrown out of her chair. [...] A second explosion was reported about an hour later, and then authorities denied that a second explosion took place. This stinks of cover-up and something possibly darker. Explosions have been used in the past to change power. Could this be the start of a new more dangerous phase in the Silovik War?
[...]
A second explosion was reported about an hour later, and then authorities denied that a second explosion took place.
This stinks of cover-up and something possibly darker.
Explosions have been used in the past to change power. Could this be the start of a new more dangerous phase in the Silovik War?
Nice catch, de Gondi! The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
