Europe's attempts to keep religion away from the public domain was one of the reasons the Irish rejected the EU's new Lisbon treaty, the country's top Catholic church figure, cardinal Sean Brady, has suggested. Speaking at the Humbert Summer School in Co Mayo on Sunday (24 August), the cleric said the EU's prevailing culture and social agenda seems to be driven by the secular tradition "rather than by the Christian memory and heritage of the vast majority of member states," the Irish Times reported. "As the recent referendum on the Lisbon treaty in Ireland suggests, at least some of those who were previously enthusiastic about the founding aims of the EU, both social and economic, are now expressing unease," he added.
Europe's attempts to keep religion away from the public domain was one of the reasons the Irish rejected the EU's new Lisbon treaty, the country's top Catholic church figure, cardinal Sean Brady, has suggested.
Speaking at the Humbert Summer School in Co Mayo on Sunday (24 August), the cleric said the EU's prevailing culture and social agenda seems to be driven by the secular tradition "rather than by the Christian memory and heritage of the vast majority of member states," the Irish Times reported.
"As the recent referendum on the Lisbon treaty in Ireland suggests, at least some of those who were previously enthusiastic about the founding aims of the EU, both social and economic, are now expressing unease," he added.
Please keep europe secular. The point about non-secular is not that you promote religion to the detriment of atheism, but you promote a religion, or in this case, one particular brand of christianity, to the detriment of all other christianities as well as other religions.
That's never gonna work in a community as diverse as the EU. Just look at all the different versions of christianity, most of which have serious doctrinal issues with regard to the existence of the others. Privileging the contradictions of religion, let alone of a religion, would be a disaster. keep to the Fen Causeway
Prosecutors in Poland are investigating allegations that the American CIA interrogated terrorist suspects at a secret jail on Polish soil. The investigation began three weeks ago, one prosecutor told Polish media. A report released in June 2007 by the Council of Europe said the CIA ran secret jails in Poland and Romania in 2003-2005, to hold al-Qaeda suspects. Polish and Romanian officials denied the claim. The secret CIA operation was known as "extraordinary rendition".
Prosecutors in Poland are investigating allegations that the American CIA interrogated terrorist suspects at a secret jail on Polish soil.
The investigation began three weeks ago, one prosecutor told Polish media.
A report released in June 2007 by the Council of Europe said the CIA ran secret jails in Poland and Romania in 2003-2005, to hold al-Qaeda suspects.
Polish and Romanian officials denied the claim. The secret CIA operation was known as "extraordinary rendition".
French President Sarkozy wants to present a united Europe at an upcoming summit on Georgia but risks inflaming differences between members. Warsaw, in particular, wants the EU to take a hard line in EU-Russia relations. By announcing the EU summit in Brussels next Monday, Sept. 1, Sarkozy wants to say clearly to Moscow that the European Union is "a force which has to dealt with," and that agreements made with him by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev must be honored, a French diplomat told the AFP news agency on Monday, Aug. 25. The six-point peace plan brokered by Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, has been criticized in some European capitals as being too vague, too Moscow-friendly and organized with too little consultation. After Russia failed to withdraw all its troops from Georgia, a key point of the cease-fire, the French president "realized that the Russians were exploiting the ambiguous margins of the text and that there was a risk of a loss of credibility for the EU and the French presidency," European Policy Center analyst Antonio Missiroli told AFP.
By announcing the EU summit in Brussels next Monday, Sept. 1, Sarkozy wants to say clearly to Moscow that the European Union is "a force which has to dealt with," and that agreements made with him by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev must be honored, a French diplomat told the AFP news agency on Monday, Aug. 25.
The six-point peace plan brokered by Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, has been criticized in some European capitals as being too vague, too Moscow-friendly and organized with too little consultation.
After Russia failed to withdraw all its troops from Georgia, a key point of the cease-fire, the French president "realized that the Russians were exploiting the ambiguous margins of the text and that there was a risk of a loss of credibility for the EU and the French presidency," European Policy Center analyst Antonio Missiroli told AFP.
Because if there is unanimity in Europe about taking Georgia in this crazy organisation, we're in for hard times : Next, take in Ukraine, tell Russia to get the hell out of Sebastopol, then sit back and enjoy the fireworks !
Ukraine has become a hostage in the war waged by Russia. This has prompted Ukrainian authorities and all our people, including those living in the Crimea, to ponder the dangers emanating from the fact that the Russian Black Sea fleet is based on our territory [...] This conflict has proved once again that the best means of ensuring the national security of Ukraine and other countries is to participate in the collective security system of free democratic nations, exemplified today by Nato. In accordance with national legislation and its foreign policy priorities, Ukraine will continue following the path of Euro-Atlantic integration. This is the path of democracy, freedom and independence.
I hope there are wiser heads in NATO to realise this is really not a good idea keep to the Fen Causeway
So scaring people with the fact that Crimea hosts the Russian fleet may not work all that well in Crimea itself... A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
I begin to wonder if Georgia's unilateral attack was a deliberate American gamble, very much a neo-con gambit. It has certainly upset the NATO. It is obvious that whether the USA wants it or not they are deeply sided with the new members versus the old core members.
Russia's move today will likely a great deal of tension within the NATO between vindictive hawks and the realists.
Who will next recognize the independance of South Ossetsia and Abkhazia? If China were to do so it would be very much an international quandry. Certainly we can expect Syria and Venezuela to do so for what little that is worth.
Costa Rica? They recognized Kosovo, and then, to show their consistency, they also recognized Palestine,
When he visits Kiev, the Foreign Secretary should remember the threats posed by Nato's drive eastwards Before making his speech on policy towards Russia in Kiev, Ukraine, later this week David Miliband would do well to ponder some wise advice from a great predecessor. Lord Salisbury, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in the days of the British Empire, dispensed immense global power; but that did not mean that he liked playing about with that power. Faced with proposals for British policy that he understood to be deeply damaging to the interests of other great powers, Salisbury would look his colleagues in the eye and ask simply: "Are you really prepared to fight? If not, do not embark on this policy." If the events of the past fortnight in Georgia have demonstrated one thing clearly, it is that Russia will fight if it feels its vital interests under attack in the former Soviet Union - and that the West will not, and indeed cannot, given its conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before making his speech on policy towards Russia in Kiev, Ukraine, later this week David Miliband would do well to ponder some wise advice from a great predecessor. Lord Salisbury, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister in the days of the British Empire, dispensed immense global power; but that did not mean that he liked playing about with that power.
Faced with proposals for British policy that he understood to be deeply damaging to the interests of other great powers, Salisbury would look his colleagues in the eye and ask simply: "Are you really prepared to fight? If not, do not embark on this policy."
If the events of the past fortnight in Georgia have demonstrated one thing clearly, it is that Russia will fight if it feels its vital interests under attack in the former Soviet Union - and that the West will not, and indeed cannot, given its conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
I've been noting that both the Indpendent and the Guardian have had substantial op-eds on this issue and have been generally swinging against the WH line and towards accpeting the russian rationale.
How this plays elsewhere I don't know (although the Telegraph is predictably anti-russian) but given how both really badly misread the situation in Iraq it's nice to see. keep to the Fen Causeway
President Medvedev says Russia is ready to break off relations with NATO if necessary. His comments came after a meeting with Russia's ambassador to the alliance, Dmitry Rogozin. NATO has been highly critical of Russia's handling of the conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia. Speaking after a meeting with Rogozin in Sochi, Medvedev said there could be no confusion about NATO's plans. He also said that Russia could see through "the illusion of partnership". "When they are building up their military forces, surrounding us with bases and drawing into the alliance more and more countries - convincing us that everything is ok... Of course we don't like it," President Medvedev said on Monday. NATO vessels are in the Black Sea to provide humanitarian aid for Georgia and give a helping hand. Russia views their presence with suspicion. NATO had warned that relations with Russia would not improve until it pulled all its troops out of Georgia.
Speaking after a meeting with Rogozin in Sochi, Medvedev said there could be no confusion about NATO's plans. He also said that Russia could see through "the illusion of partnership". "When they are building up their military forces, surrounding us with bases and drawing into the alliance more and more countries - convincing us that everything is ok... Of course we don't like it," President Medvedev said on Monday. NATO vessels are in the Black Sea to provide humanitarian aid for Georgia and give a helping hand. Russia views their presence with suspicion. NATO had warned that relations with Russia would not improve until it pulled all its troops out of Georgia.
EUROPEAN Affairs Minister Dick Roche raised the prospect of a second Lisbon Treaty referendum last night, saying he believes it is "the appropriate response" to the country's continuing political crisis.Mr Roche's controversial comments, in an interview with the Irish Independent, came as the Catholic Primate of All Ireland yesterday voiced fears that some Christians had voted against the treaty because the EU was becoming ever more secular in its outlook. Mr Roche said: "My personal view is that a referendum is the appropriate response to the position we are in. This is very much a personal view at this stage."He added: "If we want to retain our position as a constructive EU member state, we cannot simply sit on our hands, as some would have us do, and keep saying that 'No' means 'No'."
Mr Roche's controversial comments, in an interview with the Irish Independent, came as the Catholic Primate of All Ireland yesterday voiced fears that some Christians had voted against the treaty because the EU was becoming ever more secular in its outlook.
Mr Roche said: "My personal view is that a referendum is the appropriate response to the position we are in. This is very much a personal view at this stage."
He added: "If we want to retain our position as a constructive EU member state, we cannot simply sit on our hands, as some would have us do, and keep saying that 'No' means 'No'."
