I. DEUTSCHEWELLE - Gadhafi's holy war call on Switzerland
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has called for a jihad, or holy war against Switzerland, saying the Alpine nation is a destroyer of mosques. The statement is the latest move in an ongoing diplomatic row. Gadhafi said that any Muslim who worked with Switzerland was against the Prophet Mohammad and the Koran, referring to a Swiss referendum verdict barring the construction of minarets, the spires that sit atop mosques. "The masses of Muslims must go to all airports in the Islamic world and prevent any Swiss plane landing, to all harbors and prevent any Swiss ships docking, inspect all shops and markets to stop any Swiss goods being sold," Gadhafi said during a meeting in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. "Let us fight against Switzerland, Zionism and foreign aggression," said Gadhafi, adding that "this is not terrorism," in contrast with the work of al-Qaida which he called a "kind of crime and a psychological disease."
II. GREEKREPORTER - President Obama to Meet Prime Minister George Papandreou on March 9
President Obama has agreed to meet Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on March 9 in the White House. The Greek prime minister was trying to schedule a meeting with the US president since he took office as Greece’s leader this past fall. Obama had not responded favorably to a meeting with Papandreou even though powerful Greek-American organizations and individuals who were pushing for it. The Greek Prime minister’s agenda includes the reaffirmation from the US to help improve Greek-Turkish relations, and that the current administration remains on Greece’s side in this pivotal moment of the country’s economy. Obama is expected to ask Papandreou to paticipate in talks regarding the solution in Cyprus, resolve the name issue with FYROM, and keep the promises of the previous Greek administration to send Army forces to Afghanistan.
III. WASHINGTONTIMES - Embassy Row: Recall demanded
A powerful Greek-American lobby is demanding that President Obama recall the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, accusing the envoy of making "unacceptable, disappointing and damaging" remarks that "undermine the administration's position on Cyprus." The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) complained that Ambassador James Jeffrey, in a recent newspaper interview,justified Turkey's 1974 incursion into the Turkish-Cypriot region in northern Cyprus. The military moves resulted in a division of the island that remains today, although Turkey is the only nation that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The Obama administration and previous U.S. presidents have all supported talks leading to a "bi-zonal, bi-communal" federation. The Greek-Cypriot government, which is internationally recognized, calls the Turkish move an illegal invasion and complains that Turkey continues to deploy as many as 40,000 troops on the island. The Turkish-Cypriot administration regards the Turkish troops as protectors. AHI said Mr. Jeffrey's remarks to Turkey's Sabah newspaper earlier this month were "alarming and bring into question the Obama administration's policy as it specifically relates to Cyprus." "AHI views the ambassador's remarks as unacceptable, disappointing and damaging to U.S. interests," the group said, citing excerpts from his interview as the reason to recall the ambassador.
IV. FINANCIALMIRROR - U.S. pleased to play role in efforts for a Cyprus settlement
State Department spokesman Philip Crowley has said that “a very constructive dialogue is going on between Turkey and Greece, between the Turkish Cypriot community and the Greek Cypriot community, aided by the UN”, adding that “we are pleased to play a role in that”. Crowley was asked whether he agrees with a statement made by US Αmbassador in Turkey according to whom ''Turkey is a peaceful country, it doesn't invade its neighbors and it has security concerns in Cyprus and not Iraq''. Crowley said that “of course I agree with that statement”, while asked to say if he agrees that Turkey didn't invade Cyprus, he said: “Look, we are focused forward, we’re not focused backward. There is a very constructive dialogue going on between, you know, Turkey and Greece, between the Turkish Cypriot community and the Greek Cypriot community, aided by the UN. We are pleased to play a role in that”, he added. He went on to say that “we're focused on trying to bring this to a just conclusion. And I don't think there's any value in working back on the history of the last 35 years.” Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Peace talks began in September 2008 with a view to finding a negotiated settlement to reunite the country.
Moscow expects a new nuclear arms reduction treaty between Russia and the United States to be linked to Washington's plans to deploy missile shield elements in Europe, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. Lavrov said President Dmitry Medvedev and U.S. leader Barack Obama reaffirmed this link in telephone talks on Wednesday. "Our president and his American counterpart reaffirmed their agreements, and the negotiating teams in Geneva must heed a connection between strategic offensive weapons and defensive armaments," Lavrov said. "We expect our American negotiators will set out this connection [in the new treaty] as it has been agreed on [by the presidents]," Lavrov said.
VI. B92 - Slowing down EU enlargement is wrong
It would be a mistake to slow down EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans, said President Boris Tadić, during his visit to Berlin. Tadić met with President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert, and said afterwards that it would be “necessary fro the European institutions to consider the possibility of accelerating the enlargement process in the coming period”. Tadić also noted that Germany, “as one of key EU members”, should also do this. During his visit to the German federal parliament, Tadić said that “Serbia's position is that there should be no great gap between the counties that are following each other on toward EU membership”, as this would serve “only to discourage citizens in those countries awaiting the integration process”. Asked whether the issue of German's stance on possible developments after the ICJ has ruled on the legality of the Kosovo Albania unilateral declaration, Tadić said this topic was also considered, “as one of the circumstances that influence the EU enlargement process”. For this reason, Tadić said he “assured Lammert” that Serbia will continue to fight its battle for the preservation of the country's territorial integrity in Kosovo and Metohija in a peaceful manner, exclusively by diplomatic and legal means.
VII. ATHENSNEWSAGENCY - Five rare Byzantine fresco-icons stolen in 1978 return to Greece
Five rare Byzantine hagiography frescoes stolen in 1978 from the Palaiopanagia Church in Steni, Evia, returned to Greece from Basle, Switzerland at dawn Thursday. The priceless fresco-icons, dating from the 13th and 16th centuries, stolen by Greek antiquities smugglers from the church in August 1978 and illegally sent out of the country were traced by the Greek authorities (Athens Security Police Antiquities Smuggling unit) in 2006 to a well-known Italian antiquities dealer, at a gallery he ran jointly with his German wife in Basle. The Greek judicial authorities launched legal procedures for the return of the precious icons, on behalf of the Greek state, which lasted more than two years, instituting charges against the Italian antiquities dealer and all others involved, and sought the judicial assistance of the Swiss authorities for confiscation of the stolen icons. The Basle prosecutor's office in December 2009 issued a final judgement ordering the unconditional return of the frescoes to Greece. The frescoes depict Saints Ermolaos, Nikitas, Makarios of Egypt and Nestor, and are unique examples of the school of painting prevalent in the 13th and 16th centuries on mainland Greece. Palaiopanagia is a 12th century cross-shape roofed Byzantine church renowned for its exceptional art hagiographies that are distinguished for their precision of proportions and colors. The five stolen frescoes are a point of reference in international and Greek studies, outstanding among which is a 1971 study co-authored by the present Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos titled "Medieval Monuments of Evia", which has been awarded by the Academy of Athens. The study, in fact, was a key factor in definitively identifying the frescoes and positively establishing before the Swiss authorities that the five icons are protected Greek cultural monuments.