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Friday, July 30, 2010

Gaza Rocket,Israel;N.Korea soccer coach;2,500yrs old Greek coin,auction;Forced to wear Burqa;Arizona Law;ADL opposes Mosque,NYC;"What's My Line"



A Katyusha-type rocket fired by militants from Gaza struck the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Friday, damaging buildings and causing panic after more than a year of relative calm. There were no physical injuries, but police said that several residents of Ashkelon, about 10 miles north of Gaza, were treated for shock. The last time the city was hit by rocket fire was in February 2009, according to an Israeli military spokeswoman. She noted that there had been many failed attempts to hit the city since Israel ended its three-week offensive in Gaza in the winter of 2008-9. Ashkelon, with a population of about 125,000, was hit frequently by rockets during the war. Gaza is governed by the Islamic militant group Hamas, which won elections in 2006. Richard Miron, a spokesman for the United Nations Middle East envoy, said in a statement on Friday that “Indiscriminate rocket fire against civilians is completely unacceptable and constitutes a terrorist attack.” Friday’s attack came a day after the Arab League in Cairo endorsed a resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, although it left the timing up to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas’s rival, whose authority is now limited to the West Bank. Hamas opposes any resumption of direct peace talks. On Thursday, Jewish settlers claiming ownership of a large building in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City evicted an extended Palestinian family that had been renting the property for decades. That move was also seen by some in the region as an attempt to sour the atmosphere for peace negotiations. Israel annexed the Old City, along with the rest of East Jerusalem, after capturing it from Jordan in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.


First, they were made to listen to a public airing of their faults. Then they had to turn around en masse and do the same thing to their disgraced coach, who may not be long for this world. New reports are leaking out of North Korea about the national soccer team’s humiliating return home after losing all three of their matches at the recent World Cup. No one expected North Korea to do well – except, apparently, the leadership apparatus of North Korea. In a country that takes perverse delight in punishing its most loyal servants, you could smell the payback coming. It apparently arrived on July 2, shortly after the North Koreans returned home. The 23-man roster – minus its two Japanese-based ringers, Jong “Weepy” Tae-se and An Yong-hak – was hauled up on stage in front of 400 attendees at the inaptly named People’s Palace of Culture. For the next six hours, players were reprimanded for failures in their play, according to a jarring report from Radio Free Asia. This included a damning player-by-player appraisal of individual mistakes in play, provided by the country’s leading sports broadcaster. More alarmingly, they were accused of “betraying” the country in the “great ideological struggle.” After the players received their collective rollicking, the team was then forced to round on its coach, Kim Jong-hun. Things were far worse for Kim. He was accused of “betraying the young General Kim Jong-un,” the shadowy son of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il. In recent months, North Korea has executed two top officials – one who oversaw a recent disastrous currency revaluation and another in charge of diplomatic talks with South Korea. Both were subjected to the same sort of accusations of treachery before they faced the firing squad. Rumours abound that coach Kim has been expelled from the Worker’s Party and forced into the construction industry as a labourer.


A nearly 2,500-year old silver coin of Rhegion, an ancient Greek city located in would become Italy, is expected to bring upwards of $25,000 at the Heritage Signature® Auction of Ancient and World Coins at the ANA World’s Fair of Money in Boston, Thursday, August 12. The silver tetradrachm – a coin about the diameter of a quarter but much thicker and heavier, depicts the stylized head of a lion on the obverse and a profile portrait of Apollo, Greek god of wisdom and enlightenment, on the reverse. It was struck between 415 and 387 BC, a time when the Greek cities of Italy and Sicily were competing with each other and with Carthage in North Africa for control of the western Mediterranean. The lion’s head on the obverse uses foreshortening and compression to create an illusion of extreme depth, while his piercing gaze is shifted slightly to the left, as though zeroing in on his prey. The image of Apollo on the reverse is also created with such lifelike distinction that, were he to walk into a room, he would be instantly recognizable from his image on the coin. Rhegion, modern Reggio, Italy, also called Regium, is located on the “toe” of Italy, just across the Straits of Messina from the island of Sicily. The second-oldest city in Italy, it was founded by Greek colonists from two cities on mainland Greece, Chalkis and Messenia. According to legend, the Chalkidians set forth after a famine in their homeland. The citizens appealed to the god Apollo for help, who replied through an oracle that a large body of colonists should seek a fresh start in fertile southern Italy. Rhegion (meaning “it breaks away”) prospered and built a temple dedicated to Apollo, who appears prominently on the city’s coinage. The Messenian component worshipped the demigod Herakles. The lion on the obverse likely refers to the Nemean Lion slain by Herakles as one of his Twelve Labors. Rhegion grew rich and powerful by controlling trade through the Straits of Messina.


Students at an Islamic university in eastern India have refused to allow a female lecturer to teach unless she wears an all-encompassing Muslim veil, the teacher said Thursday. The student union has ordered all female students and all eight female lecturers at the small Calcutta campus of Aliah University to wear the veil, called a burqa in South Asia. Sirin Middya, who described herself as a devout Muslim, said she was appointed in March but has not been allowed to teach her classes since she refused to wear the garment, which covers the entire body and face. A mesh net covers the eyes. Nearly a fourth of the population of West Bengal state, where the university is located, is Muslim, and burqas are a common sight in Islamic neighborhoods. But the garment is rare in much of India, a predominantly Hindu country, with a large Muslim minority. "The students have threatened us and have put up banners saying those who oppose the burqa rule can go back home," Middya said. University authorities were not immediately available for comment. However, Vice Chancellor Syed Shamshul Alam told the Indian Express newspaper that they have asked the teacher to shift to another campus of the university. "This is a stray incident ... there is no dress code in our university," Alam said.


Lost in the hoopla over Arizona's immigration law is the fact that state and local authorities for years have been doing their own aggressive crackdowns in the busiest illegal gateway into the country. Nowhere in the U.S. is local enforcement more present than in metropolitan Phoenix, where Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio routinely carries out sweeps, some in Hispanic neighborhoods, to arrest illegal immigrants. The tactics have made him the undisputed poster boy for local immigration enforcement and the anger that so many authorities feel about the issue. "It's my job," said Arpaio, standing beside a sheriff's truck that has a number for an immigration hot line written on its side. "I have two state (immigration) laws that I am enforcing. It's not federal, it's state." A ruling Wednesday by a federal judge put on hold parts of the new law that would have required officers to dig deeper into the fight against illegal immigration. Arizona says it was forced to act because the federal government isn't doing its job to fight immigration. Meanwhile, Gov. Jan Brewer's lawyers went to court to overturn the judge's ruling so they can fight back against what the Republican calls an "invasion" of illegal immigrants. Ever since the main flow of illegal immigrants into the country shifted to Arizona a decade ago, state politicians and local police have been feeling pressure to confront the state's border woes. In addition to Arpaio's crackdowns, other efforts include a steady stream of busts by the state and local police of stash houses where smugglers hide illegal immigrants. The state attorney general has taken a money-wiring company to civil court on allegations that smugglers used their service to move money to Mexico. And a county south of Phoenix has its sheriff's deputies patrol dangerous smuggling corridors. The Arizona Legislature have enacted a series of tough-on-immigration measures in recent years that culminated with the law signed by Brewer in April. But the king of local immigration enforcement is still Arpaio. Arpaio, a 78-year-old ex-federal drug agent who fashions himself as a modern-day John Wayne, launched his latest sweep Thursday afternoon, sending about 200 sheriff's deputies and trained volunteers out across metro Phoenix to look for traffic violators who may be here illegally. Sixty percent of the nearly 1,000 people arrested in the sweeps since early 2008 have been illegal immigrants. Thursday's dragnet led to four arrests, but it wasn't clear if any of them were illegal immigrants. Critics say deputies racially profile Hispanics. Arpaio says deputies approach people only when they have probable cause.


The nation's leading Jewish civil rights group is opposing the planned mosque and Islamic community center near ground zero. The Anti-Defamation League says it condemns the bigotry expressed against the proponents of the mosque, but says a mosque at that site will cause more pain for some victims. The ADL is known for its advocacy of religious freedom and interfaith harmony. Its position on the mosque was met with shock and condemnation by several groups. The head of the liberal-leaning pro-Israel group J Street says the A-D-L is giving in to fear-mongerers. The Interfaith Alliance in Washington says it's disappointed in the A-D-L. The group planning the mosque, the Cordoba Initiative, did not immediately comment Friday.


Do you remember the old TV show “What’s my line?” A panel would have to select from a field of three individuals, who was the real person named and who were the two imposters. The first person would say something like this: “Hi, my name is John Smith and I am the first person to sky dive from 15,000 feet.” The next two people would say the same thing and the objective of the panel was to determine, through a series of questions, who was the real John Smith. In our day and time, we have so many different groups claiming to be Christians that it is difficult to stand up and say, “Hi, I’m John Smith and I am a Christian.” People want to label us. Denominationalism is just that, an “ism”, a disease, a bad habit and finally a new identity that may or may not resemble the real thing. So, what’s your line when someone asks about your faith? It’s usually the follow-up question that’s difficult for us. The first question is often “Are you a Christian?” The second question – what kind? People aren’t satisfied these days with just accepting that a person is Christian. Even people in so-called non-denominational Churches often ask a follow-up question like “Are you a “born-again” Christian or a “spirit-filled” Christian, or a “Bible-believing” Christian. We are so brand oriented in our society, so label conscious. It seeps into our view of ourselves. I can’t just be a high school student; I have to be from a particular school. I can’t just be a baseball player; I have to be on a particular team. I can just be a real estate agent; I have to be with a particular company. “Branding” is a way of life in America and Christianity is no exception. I can’t just be a Christian; I have to be a particular brand of Christian. People ask, “What kind of Christian are you?” I had a guy ask me once, “What flavor?” I hate that! Can’t we just be Christians? We use the words like Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Orthodox, non-denominational. Even “non-denominational” is a type of branding. When people ask me what Church I’m with, I often say, “The Orthodox Church”. Many people respond, “Is that like Greek Orthodox or Russian Orthodox?” I used to get excited when people asked that, until I discovered most people haven’t the foggiest notion what that means. I’ve told people I’m Orthodox, talked about the New Testament, Church History, the Ecumenical Councils, the difference between the Roman Church and ours, all to be asked about 10 to 15 minutes into the conversation, “Now, Orthodox…is that Jewish?” People aren’t listening. People don’t know. I’ve heard people say, “I’m not Catholic, I’m Christian.” Wow! People ask me, are you Catholic? How would you respond to that question? I tell people, “Yes, but not Roman.” That confuses most people. Honestly, I want to confuse them. I want to make them think “How can you be Catholic, but not Roman?” Catholic is a good word, you know. It’s the name of our Church – the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. That’s the Church we profess belief in when we recite the Nicene Creed. From a missionary perspective, I don’t believe we are going to be very effective simply growing the Church by getting people to switch brands. Most Christians in this country still have a mindset bent towards escaping denominationalism. Quite frankly, so do I. They think they have escaped it by jumping into the non-denomination milieu of churches that make up a large portion of the religious landscape in our country. However, I don’t believe we can really escape denominationalism until we return to the pre-denominational Church, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let me ask a question, are we calling people home to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church or are we calling people to a better brand called, “Orthodoxy”. I told a friend recently, “I could care less about being Orthodox, unless there is a controversy about the faith; then, I’m Orthodox, meaning that I have aligned myself with the Bishops who have preserved the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” I want people to know I’m a Christian before they know I’m Orthodox. I want them to hear the message of the Gospel before they hear about the issues that forced Christians to distinguish themselves from heretics by calling themselves Orthodox Christians. And I want them to fall in love with the Savior, before they fall in love with a better brand. So, what’s your line? What are you going to say to the next person who asks you about your faith? Let’s introduce people to the Savior, then to the one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and finally, to the Orthodox Faith as it has been defined by the Ecumenical Councils of the Church. I think people will respond better, if we “hold our cards”, so to speak, and gradually introduce them to the Orthodox Faith in terms of believing that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Irish Population Exodus,Cyprus Increase;Kosovo Precedent;Somali Warning;Arizona Law Scenarios;Saakashvili's War;Kirill,Vladimir,Kiev



European research shows that there are more people leaving Ireland that any other country in the EU. Not only that but there are twice as many people leaving Ireland as there are leaving Lithuania, who have the second highest rate. The EU Commission’s statistics office, Eurostat have compiled figures which show Ireland to be at the top of the chart for emigration. Ireland boasts of the EU’s highest birth rate and lowest death rate currently and as work dries up the number of Irish emigrating is skyrocketing. Eurostat calculated that the 27 countries in European Union now have a population of 501.1 million all together. This number is on the up from 2009 when the figure was just 499.7 million. The Irish are doing their part to boost this number with birth rate figures that have not been seen since the 1890s. In 2009, nine people in every thousand Irish emigrated. This is the exact opposite of the population situation in 2000 when there was a massive inflow of people at 8.4 per thousand. Last year, 4.6 people in every thousand left Lithuania who came second in the chart. Their figures are just halve of Ireland’s whopping eight out of every thousand. Economic Social Research Institute economist, Thomas Conefrey told the Irish Times that a significant amount of the emigration reflects non-Irish nationals who are going home as work dries up. He added ““In terms of labour market mobility, it would be expected to be highest among people who came here to work and who are no longer in employment,” Mr Conefrey said. “This tendency for the rate of outflow to be highest among non-Irish nationals is backed up by the quarterly national household survey, which measures labour force trends.”


Population in Cyprus increased in 2009 by 1.000, reaching 798.000 inhabitants. According to Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, in 2009 around 10.000 births were recorded in Cyprus and 5.000 deaths. On 1 January 2010, the population of the EU27 was estimated at 501.1 million, compared with 499.7 million on 1 January 2009. The population of the EU27 grew by 1.4 million in 2009, an annual rate of 2.7 per 1000 inhabitants, due to a natural increase of 0.5 million (+1.0‰) and net migration of 0.9 million (+1.7‰). Compared with 2008, the demographic situation in 2009 in the EU27 is characterised by a slight decrease in the crude birth rate and a constant crude death rate, while net migration fell more significantly.


On Feb. 17, 2008, the ethnic-Albanian authorities of Serbia's breakaway province of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence against the will of the U.N Security Council and in contravention of my country's constitution. We made it immediately clear that we would never recognize the unilateral declaration of independence, implicitly or explicitly. This position will not change. Serbia will continue to use all diplomatic resources at the disposal of a sovereign state to oppose Pristina's attempt at partitioning our country. No democratic and proud nation—whose territorial integrity is under threat—would act differently. From the onset of this grave crisis, we responded to the unilateral declaration of independence peacefully. In October 2008, the General Assembly of the United Nations overwhelmingly approved a resolution seeking the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice on the lawfulness of the unilateral declaration of independence. After many months of deliberation, the court delivered its findings. It neither endorsed the view that this unilateral declaration of independence was a unique case, nor Pristina's claim that Kosovo is a state. Moreover, the court failed to approve the province's avowed right of secession from Serbia, or any purported right to self-determination for Kosovo's Albanians. Instead, the court chose to narrowly examine the language of the unilateral declaration of independence. This strictly technical approach made it possible to say that the text of the declaration itself did not violate international law. The Kosovo Albanian authorities are deliberately misinterpreting the court's views as a legalization of their attempt at secession. This may produce extensive and deeply problematic consequences for the international community. Ethnic minorities across the globe could take advantage of the opportunity to write their own declarations of independence according to the Kosovo textual template. This would put them in a position to plausibly claim that such texts sufficiently legitimize their respective acts of secession, and for their proclaimed independence to be in conformity with international law. The inherent dangers of such a scenario must be prevented. Otherwise, the borders of every multi-ethnic state would be permanently threatened by secessionism, producing lasting instability throughout the world. The court has left it up to the U.N. General Assembly to manage the political repercussions of the advisory opinion. This has been confirmed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who stated that the General Assembly "will determine how to proceed on this matter." The forthcoming debate will therefore focus on the consequences and implications of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in light of the court's findings. We must ensure that the outcome of this debate makes a positive contribution to global governance. We must find a realistic approach to close the Pandora's box opened up by Pristina. The only way forward is to commence peaceful dialogue between the parties that produces a compromise, a mutually acceptable solution to all outstanding issues. The consequence of a failure to agree on Kosovo would be the establishment of a universally applicable precedent that provides a ready-made model for unilateral secession. Serbia is committed to working with the international community to prevent such a disastrous scenario. What we seek is an equitable outcome that both sides can embrace. This is the only way to reinforce shared priorities, to normalize relations, and to complete the democratic transformation of the Balkans into a stable, prosperous region fully integrated into the European Union.


Somalia's al-Qaida-linked group has warned African countries against plans to send additional troops to the war-ravaged country, saying they would be "annihilated." African leaders and U.S. officials have called for stepped-up efforts in Somalia after the country's most feared militant group, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for twin bombings during the World Cup final in Uganda on July 11. Earlier this week at an African Union summit in Uganda, Africa's leaders pledged 4,000 more troops to aid the 6,000 Ugandan and Burundian soldiers now stationed in Mogadishu. Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, al-Shabab's spokesman, said late Wednesday that those 6,000 troops are already "suffering" from al-Shabab attacks, and that "whoever they bring in will end up in the same fate as his predecessor." Al-Shabab said it targeted Uganda on July 11 because Ugandan troops have killed Somali civilians in Mogadishu. Shelling is a near-daily occurrence in Somalia's capital, and international rights groups have decried the deadly impact on civilians. Al-Shabab is stirring up emotions against African troops, whose mandate includes protecting top Somalia officials and manning key installations in the capital. Islamic insurgents including al-Shabab have been trying for three years to overthrow the fragile, U.N.-backed government, which is holed up in a small section of the capital. Civilians have suffered through nearly two decades of violent chaos in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, since the country's government was overthrown in 1991. The AU force, known as AMISOM, has long been criticized by human rights groups for civilian deaths in Somalia, and internal reports obtained by The Associated Press show the mission itself is aware of the problem.


A U.S. judge in Arizona has put key parts of the border state's tough new immigration law on hold before it is due to come into effect on Thursday. The U.S. Justice Department had argued provisions of the law encroached on federal authority over immigration policy and enforcement. Here are some scenarios for what could happen next: Arizona Plan to Appeal - Arizona's Republican Governor Jan Brewer said the state plans to file an expedited appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit seeking to lift the injunction against the immigration law. The appeals court, based in San Francisco, could consider whether to lift the injunction and let the full law go into effect or request legal briefs and arguments from both sides before ruling on Arizona's request. It was not clear how quickly Arizona would move to file its appeal. Regardless of how the appeals court rules, either side could then appeal that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. U.S. Court Hears Formal Arguments - While Judge Susan Bolton granted a preliminary injunction against the Arizona law, she did so on the grounds that she believes the Obama administration would ultimately succeed on the merits of the case when presented in court. Therefore, Bolton would still need to hear arguments from both sides on the merits of the federal government's challenge, requiring lengthy legal briefs, and likely hear oral arguments, a process that can take months. Either side could then appeal to the Ninth Circuit and ultimately the Supreme Court. Congressional Action - With the initial victory in hand, that could lead some lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to try to forge a compromise on a comprehensive immigration reform plan that has been elusive regardless of which political party holds the White House. But the chances are slim that the Obama administration and lawmakers will reach a deal before November's congressional elections in which Republicans are expected to make gains. Republicans demand more effort to secure the southern border with Mexico and have said the initial deployment of National Guard troops to the border was inadequate. Many Republicans also oppose giving amnesty to the nearly 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be in the United States to allow them to remain in the country. Obama supports allowing undocumented immigrants in good standing to pay a fine, learn English and get on the track to citizenship. He also has supported tightening border security and clamping down on employers that hire undocumented workers. State Legislature - With the ruling, the Arizona legislature could try to alter the law to address concerns raised by Judge Bolton. Arizona's governor could call a special session to make those changes. State lawmakers already have amended the immigration law once to try to prevent racial profiling. Under the changes, police will be required to investigate the immigration status of people they reasonably suspect are in the country illegally only in the case of lawful contact such as a traffic stop.


Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has called on military top brass to build “total defense” and accused Russia of planning to “overthrow Georgian democracy.” Not only has Russia not given up its “plan to control Georgia, but they are working intensively on that,” Saakashvili said, speaking at a meeting with army top commanders and senior Defense Ministry’s officials. The president said his assessment was based on Russia’s “rhetoric and information war carried out on daily, minute-by-minute basis against Georgia.” The Georgian leader expects an attack of “the enemy force… from the ethnically-cleansed territories,” referring to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, recognized by Russia as independent states in 2008. Saakashvili set the task for his military to “burn each and every square meter of the Georgian land” beneath an enemy if it decides to invade the country. For this, the country should develop not only armed forces, but also a civil defense system, he said. Defense of the country is “a matter for each and every citizen” and “each village should be able to defend itself,” he stressed. Although Tbilisi had to cut military budget for 2010 because of the economic crisis, “money will be invested in education, training and the increase of professionalism,” Saakashvili said. Meanwhile, the Georgian army is gaining experience in Afghanistan. The participation in the military operation in that country is important from a geopolitical point of view and it is “a good military school,” Saakashvili said. “We need experience, as we need total defense,” he added. “Fear sees danger everywhere,” an anonymous source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily. “No one is planning to do anything against Georgia, unless its government repeats the cruel behavior it resorted to two years ago. The fruits of that mistake proved to be bitter for the Georgian leadership, and it should have learned its lesson.” The president’s speech does not contain any real threat, believes Georgian political scientist Gia Khukhashvili. When speaking before the military, the head of any state tries to raise the army’s morale, because such are “the rules of the game,” he told the daily. And thinking of a military revenge against Russia is “simply illogical,” he stressed.


On July 28, the commemoration day of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles and the Day of the Baptism of Rus’, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Dormition Laura of the Caves in Kiev. The liturgy took place in the monastery’s square overcrowded with worshippers. The service was broadcast live by the Ukrainian television. After the Lesser Entrance, Patriarch Kirill elevated Archbishop Alexander of Kazakhstan and Astana to the rank of metropolitan in keeping with to the Holy Synod’s decision defining the canonical and legal state of the metropolitanate in the Republic of Kazakhstan. After the reading of the Gospel the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

EU divided on Kosovo;Ganić extradition;Iran ties to extremists;US progress in Iraq;NATO-Russia ties;Aretha,Condoleezza perform;Rome-Moscow alliance



Last week's clear opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stating that the declaration of independence of Kosovo did not violate international law has not helped the European Union to build unity on the status of Kosovo. During a debate of EU foreign ministers, the minority group of five EU countries that have not recognised Kosovo (Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus) stated that they will not change their position. Ministers of those countries said that they will be constructive and support the European perspective of the region. Kosovo declared independence in February 2008 and has been recognised by 69 countries from all over the world by now, including 22 EU Member states. Ministers from several EU countries who have recognized Kosovo welcomed the ruling of the ICJ saying that it ends all speculation about the status of Kosovo. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said that the "opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo was very clear" but she could not be clear herself on whether the EU offer to Kosovo and Serbia for dialogue also includes a possibility to again discuss the status of Kosovo and the possibility of partition of its territory. The Serbian Parliament in Belgrade on Monday discussed the outcome of the opinion of ICJ. Serbia wants to start a debate at the UN General Assembly asking for a resolution that will call for new talks on the status of Kosovo, something that neither Kosovo nor the countries that have recognised its independence can accept. Such a move could have repercussions for Serbia's EU membership bid. On Monday, some EU countries called for the acceleration of Serbia's path towards EU.


A London court has today announced that it would not enable the extradition of Ejup Ganić to Serbia. Ganić was a war-time Muslim member of Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, and is wanted in Serbia on war crimes charges. The decision was today announced two weeks after the main hearing was held, and almost five months after police in Britain detained Ganić in London. Serbian official have confirmed that Belgrade will now appeal against the decision to a higher instance court. Incidents from the very beginning of the war Bosnia, on May 2 and 3, 1992, that Ganić is charged for, were discussed in detail in the beginning of the month before the Westminster Magistrates' Court. Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) at the time held President of the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Presidency Alija Izetbegović "in some kind of captivity", says our reporter, so Ganić took over his authority. The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution claims that he is therefore responsible for several incidents qualified as war crimes, including the ambush attack on a JNA convoy, that was retreating according to a previous agreement. The case, known as the Dobrovoljačka St. massacre, resulted in the deaths of scores of soldiers. Ganić’s lawyers claimed that the proceeding which has been launched in Belgrade was politically motivated and that Serbia abused British laws which allowed it to file the extradition request. They tried to argue that the possible responsibility of their client had already been investigated by the Hague Tribinal and international prosecutor in Sarajevo, and that it had been determined in both cases that there was no basis for an indictment. The defense counsels also called several witnesses who said that Ganić could not have a fair trial in Belgrade. The British prosecutor presented the evidence gathered by his Serbian counterpart and tried to convince the judge that the events in Sarajevo, witness statements and transcripts of radio communication were sufficient to conclude that Ganić should stand trial in order to determine his guilt or innocence. The prosecutor argued against claims about the likelihood Ganić would not receive a fair trial by presenting reports which praised war crimes trials in Belgrade, and repeating that each verdict made in Serbia was a subject to an appeal before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.


Cooperation among Iran, Al Qaeda and other Sunni extremist groups is more extensive than previously known to the public, according to details buried in the tens of thousands of military intelligence documents released by an independent group Sunday. U.S. officials and Middle East analysts said some of the most explosive information contained in the WikiLeaks documents detail Iran's alleged ties to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and the facilitating role Tehran may have played in providing arms from sources as varied as North Korea and Algeria. The officials have for years received reports of Iran smuggling arms to the Taliban. The WikiLeaks documents, however, appear to give new evidence of direct contacts between Iranian officials and the Taliban's and Al Qaeda's senior leadership. It also outlines Iran's alleged role in brokering arms deals between North Korea and Pakistan-based militants, particularly militant leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Al Qaeda. The apparent links are striking because Iran has historically been a foe of the Taliban, who generally view the followers of Shiite Islam — Iran's predominant faith — as heretics. One of the more remarkable reports describes a November 2005 trip that departed from Iran in which Hekmatyar, the militant leader, and Usama bin Laden's financial adviser traveled to North Korea to close a deal with the North Korean government to obtain remote-controlled rockets to use against coalition aircraft in Afghanistan. Several reports describe Iran as a hub of planning activity for attacks on the Afghan government. A May 2006 report describes an Al Qaeda–Hekmatyar plot to equip suicide bombers and car bombs to attack Afghan government and international targets—using cars and equipment obtained in Iran and Pakistan. By April 2007, the reports show what appears to be even closer collaboration. A report that month describes an effort two months earlier in which Al Qaeda, "helped by Iran," bought 72 air-to-air missiles from Algeria and hid them in Zahedan, Iran, in order to later smuggle them into Afghanistan.


The US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, on Tuesday said a planned drawdown of US troops in Iraq was on track, citing "stunning" progress in security over the past three years. Before arriving in Baghdad, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on his plane that Iraq's military and police had proven themselves over the past year. Based on briefings from US commanders, Mullen said the Iraqi forces "are ready" to take full responsibility for security in the country as American forces are scaled back to a 50,000-strong mission. He said the Iraqi troops are "performing in the lead exceptionally well." "I've seen their response in various situations where violent attacks have occurred. And their response has really been good," he said. Mullen said the progress since 2007 represented "truly a stunning achievement." The United States has about 77,500 soldiers in Iraq but all combat troops are due out by September 1, leaving a training and advisory force of 50,000. And by December 2011, all remaining troops are to leave. "We're still on track to reduce the number of troops to 50,000 by the end of August and to have all combat troops out of Iraq by 2011," said Mullen, who was due to meet the US commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno. Iraqi forces took over security in the country's cities last year, and the US military also has transferred to Baghdad control of prisons holding suspected militants. Mullen said he was concerned over the recent escape of four Al-Qaeda-linked inmates from an Iraqi prison, but said he retained confidence in Baghdad authorities despite the incident. "While I'm concerned about the four that got out the other day, overall I applaud the efforts in the transition and what's happened so far," he said. Mullen arrived in Baghdad as part of 10-day global tour that included stops in eastern and southern Afghanistan, where he checked on progress in the nearly nine-year-old war.


NATO's top officer says military-to-military relations between Russia and the alliance are "definitely improving." Italian Adm. Giampaolo Di Paola, who heads the alliance's military committee, says cooperation with Moscow is expected to deepen further in 2011 because of shared concerns over Afghanistan, and the threats posed by terrorism and maritime piracy. Di Paola returned on Saturday from a visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian defense chief Gen. Nikolai Makarov. He said the Russian side had responded to NATO's request to supply transport and helicopter gunships to the nascent Afghan air force by submitting a proposal which is now being studied by the allies. He did not elaborate on the contents of the proposal.

On Tuesday July 27, 2010, at 8:00PM at the Mann Center, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Rossen Milanov - Conductor with Aretha Franklin - Vocalist & Condoleezza Rice - Piano will perform together. The Queen of Soul pairs up with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for an evening of classics and R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Ms. Rice will enchant us with selections from Mozart and more, and Ms. Franklin will thrill us with selections from her new album, A Woman Falling Out of Love. This bipartisan effort is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Don’t miss this amazing duo with those Fabulous Philadelphians for one night only! This performance is a benefit for programs supporting inner city children and The Mann Center education programs.


Of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, 21 have voiced objection to the European Court of Human Rights decision on the question of crucifixes in schools. The affair has impassioned Italy for several years. Mrs Soile Lautsi had asked the administration of her children’s local school to remove the crucifixes from their classrooms. When the request was refused she took legal action. In 2005, the Italian Administrative Tribunal ruled against her on the grounds that “the crucifix is the symbol of both Italian history and Italian culture and, in consequence, of Italian identity, and the symbol of the principles of equality, liberty and tolerance as well as of the secularity of the State.” However, on 3 November 2009, the Court at Strasbourg condemned this judgement, affirming that: “the compulsory display of the symbol of a faith during the performance of a public service, particularly in classrooms, limits the right of parents to educate their children according to their beliefs as well as the right of children being educated to believe or not to believe.” Taking issue with this decision, Armenia, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Romania, the Russian Federation and San Marino lodged an objection with the Court, which heard their case on 30 June 2010. Subsequent to the hearing, Albania, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia (FYSM), Moldova, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine, added their support to the objection. The reason for this sudden executive revolt against the Court becomes clear in light of the alliance concluded last May between the metropolitan Hilarion (in charge of external relations of the Orthodox patriarchate of Moscow) on behalf of the patriarch Cyril I, and Pope Benedict XVI. The separate Catholic and Orthodox churches decided to join forces against the secularization of European societies.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Obama,Congress-confidence down;ICJ circumvented,Cyprus,Serbia;Greece-Israel-Turkish boats;Colombia-Venezuela;P.Kirill in Ukraine



The latest Gallup Poll on U.S. institutions shows something we all sense -- Americans are losing faith. That includes the presidency, which enjoys the high confidence of only 36% of Americans, according to the poll. President Obama can take heart from the fact that the rating is still better than that of Congress; only 11% of Americans have a great deal or a lot of confidence in it, dead last among the 16 groups rated. Confidence in the presidency also ranks higher than newspapers (25%) and television news (22%), by the way. But the presidential rating fell the furthest among the groups; last year, 51% had confidence in the presidency, but that rating fell 15 points. "Over the same period, President Barack Obama's approval rating fell by 11 points, from 58% to 47%," reported Gallup. "However, confidence in the presidency remains higher than in 2008 -- the last year of George W. Bush's term -- when the figure was 26%." Topping the confidence list: The military, small business, and police.


International law professor Tibor Varadi says the ICJ "should have considered the issue of whether Kosovo's independence is in accordance with international law. Instead of confronting the principle of territorial integrity that Serbia insisted on with the principle of right to self-determination that Kosovo Albanians insisted on, ICJ completely neglected these issues and focused solely on the text of the declaration of independence," Varadi told Belgrade-based daily Politika on Friday. "I have yet to determine, by closely studying the ICJ's advisory opinion, whether this is a way of circumventing the question and avoiding the answer," Varadi stressed, adding that he does not believe the response would be different if the question had been formulated differently. The fact that the court digressed from our question only to assess the very declaration is a manipulation. The court could have done the same with any other question," Varadi, who represented Serbia before the UN tribunal in the past, underscored. He added he believed that those who thought it was not advisable to go before the ICJ with the Kosovo case at all, were wrong, "as at the time there was no other way". Varadi said he still believed that the idea to file lawsuits against certain states that recognized was "much worse and would not yield results, as in that case the ICJ would inevitably stated that it is not authorized to rule on the case". Varadi expressed his expectation that this ICJ advisory opinion will encourage other secessionist movements around the world.


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus repeated they would respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and Kosmet within Serbia. Cyprus called on Belgrade and Pristina to restore dialogue within UN SC Resolution 1244 in order to find a mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo to enable stability and peace in the region. Cyprus is one of the five EU member-states that have not recognized independence of Kosovo.


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with visiting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Thursday, announcing a tightening of ties between the two nations. The visit comes at a time of crisis in the once-warm relationship between Israel and Greece's arch-rival, Turkey, since an Israeli commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship in which nine Turkish activists were killed on May 31. "At the end of the meeting they agreed to a major upgrade of relations between Israel and Greece on a range of bilateral issues," said Netanyahu's office, adding that Papandreou had invited Netanyahu to visit Athens. Papandreou, on a two-day visit to the region, was to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas later on Thursday. Netanyahu asked the Greek leader to urge Abbas to begin direct peace talks with Israel. The Palestinians have refused to move from US-brokered indirect talks to face-to-face peace negotiations without a complete freeze on Israeli settlement expansion on occupied land.


Israeli Ambassador to Turkey Gabby Levy is expected to inform the local authorities on Friday that Israel will return the Turkish boats which took part in a Gaza-bound flotilla in late May. The political echelon in Jerusalem decided to return the boats in a bid to prevent a further deterioration of the crisis with Ankara. The decision was made following negotiations between the two countries, after Israel demanded that the vessels would not take part in future sails to Gaza. The Turkish-owned Marmara ship, which led the flotilla, and additional vessels were led to Israel's ports after a deadly Navy raid left nine Turkish nationals killed. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported Friday that a local journalist and two Spanish peace activists who were oboard the Marmara during the raid planned to file a civil claim against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, six of his cabinet ministers and Navy Commander Eliezer Marom, according to . The activists say in the statement of claim that "the entire operation was well planned by the Israeli army in order to kill as many activists as possible, while they were only trying to help Gaza's residents." The Foreign Ministry said in response that the lawsuit was "a continuation of the provocation in other means." According to a statement issued Friday morning, "Israel's actions are legal and in accordance with international law. Just like the flotilla organizers did not have humanitarian aid in mind, but only used it as an excuse for provocation and violence, the people filing the lawsuit are not really interested in law and justice, but are using them as a tool against Israel. The appointed commission of inquiry must be given the chance to do its work uninterrupted."


The international community reacted with concern over Venezuela's decision to break all ties with Colombia, following evidence presented to the Organization of American States of the presence of 87 guerrilla camps in Venezuela. There was an overwhelming call for the two neighbor states to attempt to repair relations. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for Colombia and Venezuela to resolve their differences "through dialogue" and asked for "moderation from all camps, so that the situation can be resolved peacefully." U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Thursday that Washington was critical of Venezuela's move. "I don't think that severing ties or communication is the proper way to achieve that end," Crowley said. "Colombia's allegations need to be taken very seriously," the State Department told AFP in a written statement. "Venezuela has an obligation to Colombia and to the international community to fully investigate this information and move to prevent the use of its sovereign territory by terrorist groups," the State Department wrote. "It is the expectation of all members of the inter-American community that all countries fulfill that commitment," the statement read. The Spanish government also expressed its concern and said it was disposed to aid in the renegotiation of diplomatic relations. The French government called for a dialogue between the feuding South American nations. Reactions within Venezuela: Opposing sectors to the Chavez administration within Venezuela criticized their leader's decision, while business leaders called for the bilateral crisis be handled with "consideration." The leader of Venezuelan opposition party Primero Justicia, Julio Borges, said that Chavez had broken relations in order to distract from the nation's internal problems. "Chavez has a military mentality. He always needs an enemy and if he doesn't have one, he invents one," Borges said, and asked the Venezuelan leader "not to use" the dispute with Colombia for "political gain." The secretary general of the Copei-Partido Popular, Luis Carlos Solorzano, asked Chavez to allow an international mission into Venezuela to verify Colombia's claims of a guerrilla presence. "Neither God not any nation in the world would forgive, if this were certain, because these groups do enormous harm to their own people," Solorzano said. The president of the Venezuelan Federation for Commerce and Production, Noel Alvarez, said on Thursday that "the ideological confrontations between the presidents have hurt us, above all the people, because the Palacio de Miraflores and the Casa de Nariño have policies, but those who benefit or suffer are the people.


On July 23, 2010, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, while on an archpastoral visitation of dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, met with the Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich in the Crimea. At Belbek airport, His Holiness was met by Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and the Crimea, diocesan clergy and governmental officials. In the beginning of their meeting, Patriarch Kirill read out the diploma awarding the Ukrainian President the Order of St. Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, First Degree, in acknowledgement of his efforts for strengthening Orthodoxy in Ukraine and on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Presenting Mr. Yanukovich with the high church decoration, His Holiness Kirill said, ‘I rejoice in the fact that on the occasion of your jubilee I have an opportunity to put upon you during the first year of your presidency this token of profound respect of the Russian Orthodox Church for your work and your personality’. Then the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and the head of the Ukrainian State had a talk.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

ICJ rules on Kosovo, Int'l reaction,Vichy France;Cyprus deal vital;Colombia-Venezuela;Arizona ImmigLaw;Church at Ground Zero, not Mosque



A ruling by top UN judges that Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia was not illegal was welcomed by the territory's allies and others. But Belgrade said it would never relinquish its claim while countries which also refused to recognise Kosovo's secession, including at least one EU state, repeated their opposition. Separatists in the former USSR and Spain welcomed the ruling for their own reasons. Reaction to the International Court of Justice's non-binding opinion follows in quotes. White House spokesman Mike Hammer: "We were pleased that the court agreed with the long-standing view of the United States that Kosovo's declaration of independence is in accordance with international law." Baroness Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:"The advisory opinion opens a new phase. The focus should now be on the future. The future of Serbia lies in the European Union. The future of Kosovo also lies in the European Union." German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle: "The ICJ's ruling confirms our view that the declaration of independence was legal. It supports our view that the independence and territorial integrity of Kosovo are irrefutable facts." Serbian President Boris Tadic: "Serbia of course will never recognise the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo because it believes that unilateral, ethnically motivated secession is not in accordance with the principles of the United Nations." Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko: "It is of principal importance that the court provided its assessment of only the declaration itself, particularly spelling out that it did not consider the question of Kosovo's right unilaterally to secede from Serbia in a broader context. In its conclusions, the court did not rule on the consequences of the adoption of that document either, for example, whether Kosovo is a state, or on the legality of the territory's recognition by a number of countries. Our position on the non-recognition of the independence of Kosovo remains unchanged." Republic of Cyprus foreign ministry: "Cyprus would like to reiterate its position of principle on the issue of Kosovo and reaffirm its unwavering position of respect to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, which includes the Kosovo and Metohija province." Sergei Bagapsh, president of the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian territory of Abkhazia: "The decision of the International Court once more confirms the right of Abkhazia and [fellow breakaway Georgian region] South Ossetia to self-rule. And from a historical and legal point of view, Abkhazia and South Ossetia have much more right to independence than Kosovo." Aitor Estaban, an MP from Spain's Basque nationalist PNV party: "I think that the main consequence is that Spain cannot keep saying that the international rules don't allow for a split of the country for a new Basque independent country into the European Union. So I think that should be already over and that's good news for us."


The UN's highest court has ruled Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia did not violate international law. The decision rejects a claim by Serbia but is non-binding. Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority declared independence from Belgrade in February 2008, after UN-brokered negotiations failed. The US and most European nations recognized the move, but Serbia – backed by Russia and China – called it a violation of its territorial integrity. Kosovo had previously been administered by the UN, following the NATO bombing campaign against Serbia in 1999. Washington-based journalist and historian Nebojsa Malic calls the decision a “death sentence for international law. It is a clear violation of UN Resolution 1244 and all the accepted norms of international law. I honestly was expecting a more nuanced decision. I did not expect the court to take such a directly pro-American position,” he said. As for Kosovo itself, Malic is convinced that “independent” is not the word to describe it. “Kosovo is as independent as Vichy France was in WWII. It’s a puppet state. It suffers from endemic corruption, abuse of power. Its governmental structure can be better described as organized crime,” the journalist added. Russia says that the ruling of the International Court of Justice will not change its stance on the status of Kosovo, which Moscow does not recognize as an independent state. A statement on the issue has been published on Russia’s Foreign Ministry web site. “The court has only assessed Kosovo’s declaration of independence, noting that it has not considered more widely Kosovo’s right to unilateral secession from Serbia,” the statement reads. “Also, in its ruling the court has not assessed either the consequences of the adoption of this document, namely whether Kosovo is a state, or the legitimacy of its recognition by a number of countries.”


A ruling on Thursday by the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia was legal will not affect Russia's position on the issue, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. ICJ president Hisashi Owada said international law "contains no applicable prohibition" of Kosovo's declaration of independence and that the court had ruled that "the declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 did not violate general international law." "Our position on our non-recognition of Kosovo's independence remains the same," the ministry's statement said. Russia has always been strongly opposed to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Kosovo called the decision a "great victory," adding that it represents "a new chapter in the victory of justice." "My message to the government of Serbia is 'Come and talk to us," Kosovo's Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said. Serbia had claimed that Kosovo's secession violated its territorial integrity. The court's ruling was non-binding. Kosovo's independence was supported by the U.S. and a large number of EU states, while Russia has always maintained its strong opposition. Ten of the court's judges supported the opinion, while four opposed it. Moscow says the issue can be solved by talks based on UN Security Council resolution 1244. "We are ready to continue to contribute actively to this," the ministry said.

IV. KATHIMERINI - Greece: Cyprus deal vital

Prime Minister George Papandreou visits the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem yesterday. Prime Minister George Papandreou yesterday expressed Greece’s full support for Nicosia’s efforts to revive peace talks on the divided island of Cyprus and called on Turkish Cypriots to be more cooperative to ensure sputtering negotiations remain on track. At a time of increased tension in the Aegean, where Turkish vessels and aircraft have been encroaching on Greek air space and territorial waters, Papandreou also stressed the importance to Athens of a Cyprus solution. “For us, solving the Cyprus problem is a precondition for full normalization of Greco-Turkish relations,” said Papandreou following talks with Cyprus President Dimitris Christofias in Nicosia. “As far as Greece and Turkey are concerned, Cyprus can either divide us or unite us. Obviously we seek the latter,” said the Greek premier, who on Tuesday received Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou in Athens for talks. Speaking a day after Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu accused Nicosia of intransigence, Papandreou appealed to the Turkish-Cypriot administration to “seriously study” a package of proposals put forward last week by Christofias. Papandreou praised the efforts of Christofias in pursuing a consensus with hardliner Eroglu and said Greece backed the Cyprus leader’s proposals. “This shows that President Christofias is one step ahead in initiatives to solve the Cyprus problem,” Papandreou said. Later yesterday, the Greek premier flew to Israel for an official visit. One of Christofias’s proposals sees the port of Famagusta in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus being opened to direct trade under the auspices of the European Union in exchange for the return of the area of Varosia to Greek Cypriots. Eroglu on Tuesday ruled out the return of Varosia and called on Nicosia to be more cooperative with the Turkish-Cypriot administration.


A Colombian diplomat said officials have proof that Venezuela is allowing about 1,500 left-wing rebels to roam freely on its soil. The allegations against Venezuela were announced at an Organizations of American States meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday. Colombia's ambassador at the OAS, Luis Alfonso Hoyos asked the Venezuelan government to stop hiding the wanted rebels. He also warned that there will be a third international party meant to corroborate the locations identified by former rebels. "We are hoping that Venezuela will cooperate and that they will comply with international and national rules. The presence of such illicit groups should not be allowed in any state," said Hoyos. During the meeting, Colombian diplomats planned to present overwhelming evidence -- including photos, coordinates, video and testimonials -- showing that there are rebels operating from Venezuela. "At this time, there are several camps that are being strengthened in Venezuela, where they are launching attacks against Venezuelan territory, as well as Colombian territory, and in turn hurting the Venezuelan people," said Hoyos. Venezuela's ambassador at the OAS, Roy Chaderton Matos, said that if there are any Colombian left-wing rebels in his country it is due to the inaction and inability of the Colombian government to solve their problems. "We have said it a thousand times, we do not accept the presence of any irregulars, nor do we accept any violations by Colombian forces in our territory," said Matos.


A federal judge heard arguments Thursday in a packed Phoenix courtroom over whether Arizona's tough new immigration law should take effect next week. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton was holding the hearing on whether the law should be put on hold and whether a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups and others challenging it should be dismissed. About 30 lawyers were in court to represent defendants in the case. There also were about 150 spectators in the courtroom, many in a second-floor gallery. Defendants include various county officials from throughout the state, most of whom sent lawyers to the hearing. Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever was there in person, however, sitting at the front of the courtroom. Dever's county is on the Arizona-Mexico border and he knew a rancher who was killed in March on his ranch by a suspected illegal immigrant, possibly a scout for drug smugglers. The killing of Robert Krentz in many ways set the stage for the new Arizona law to pass, with politicians calling for action amid border violence. Supporters and opponents of the law demonstrated outside, gathering in prayer before the hearing started. Sarah Fox, a 64-year-old Phoenix nurse, said the new law takes the country's economic problems out on immigrants, who she believes are being used as a scapegoat. "It's morally wrong," she said. "I'm getting old and I don't have many years left to speak out against what is wrong." Debbi MacNicol, a 55-year-old Phoenix psychiatric nurse who carried a gun on her hip and wore a T-shirt that read "Don't Tread on Me," said she supports the law because she fears Mexico's drug war will spill over into Arizona. "It wasn't as much an issue until it started putting our lives at risk," she said. Bolton was set to hold another hearing in the afternoon on the U.S. Justice Department's request for a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the immigration law. The law requires officers, while enforcing other laws, to check a person's immigration status if there's a reasonable suspicion that the person is here illegally. It also bans people from blocking traffic when they seek or offer day-labor services on streets and prohibits illegal immigrants from soliciting work in public places. Since Gov. Jan Brewer signed the measure into law on April 23, it has inspired rallies in Arizona and elsewhere by advocates on both sides of the immigration debate. Some opponents have advocated a tourism boycott of Arizona. It also led an unknown number of illegal immigrants to leave Arizona for other U.S. states or their home countries and prompted seven challenges by the Justice Department, civil rights groups, two Arizona police officers, a Latino clergy group and a researcher from Washington. Justice Department lawyers contend that local police shouldn't be allowed to enforce the law because, in part, it's disrupting the United States' relations with Mexico and other countries. Attorneys for Brewer argue that the federal government based its challenge on misconceptions of what the law would do and that Washington's inadequate immigration enforcement has left the state with heavy costs for educating, incarcerating and providing health care for illegal immigrants. In the challenge by civil rights groups, Brewer and other officials said the lawsuit should be thrown out because the groups don't allege a real threat of harm from enforcing the new law and instead base their claims on speculation. The civil rights groups said their clients will suffer imminent harm, such as a social service organization that will have to divert resources from its programs to instead assist those affected by the new law.


Amid the harsh words and hard feelings surrounding the proposed building of a mosque near Ground Zero, NY-1 Congressional hopeful George Demos is speaking out about the issue for the first time -- but he's coming at it in a slightly different way. "On September 11, 2001, over 3,000 Americans, including 168 residents of our community in Suffolk County, were taken from us by the evil acts of Islamic extremists bent on destroying our freedoms. "Amid the thick smoke and choking ashes of that fateful day, the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was reduced to dust," he said today. The reconstruction of the church, crushed by the falling south tower, has been hampered by many delays since the attack, Demos noted, blaming the Port Authority for the holdup. "What an outrage that our government has put roadblocks in the path of its own citizens trying rebuild their beloved Church destroyed by Islamic extremists, while Saudi Arabia, a nation that prohibits people from even wearing a Cross or the Star of David, now provokes the families of those who lost loved ones by apparently funneling money to build a mosque at the same location," he said. The construction of the mosque, of course, has been a hot-button issue in the governor's race, where Republican Rick Lazio has repeatedly gone after Democrat Andrew Cuomo on the topic, even calling him an incompetent attorney general for not investigating the project's funding sources. Cuomo has argued that like it or not, the mosque has a right to be there: "What are we about if not religious freedom?" he asked. To read more about the history of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, please click here.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Orthodox&Turkish citizenship,Cyprus;Greece&Israel;UN retrial,KLA leaders;Medvedev&Twitter;Iran's call to Muslims;Hispanic opposition,Arizona Law



Turkey has offered citizenship to foreign archbishops to help the next election of the Ecumenical Patriarch, spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox faithful, officials said. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has quietly led the gesture to the Orthodox, who face a shortage of candidates to succeed Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 70, and serve on the Holy Synod, which administers patriarchate affairs. Turkish law requires the patriarch to be a citizen. But the Orthodox community in Turkey, an overwhelmingly Muslim country, has fallen to some 3,000 from 120,000 a half-century ago, drastically shrinking the pool of potential future patriarchs. Istanbul, the Byzantine capital Constantinople until the 15th-century Ottoman conquest, remains the centre of Orthodox faith. As Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, a Turkish citizen of Greek heritage who is in good health, is spiritual leader for Christianity's second-largest group of churches. There are 14 Greek Orthodox archbishops, including Bartholomew, who are Turkish citizens. Seventeen metropolitans from countries including Austria, France, the United States and Greece have applied for passports, said Rev. Dositheos Anagnostopulous, the Patriarchate spokesman. Another six may still apply, and the See hopes the first archbishops will receive their papers by Christmas, he said. The EU and United States have urged Turkey to end restrictions on religion for its minority citizens. Diplomats said the offer of citizenship could provide a lifeline for the 2,000-year-old faith in its ancient homeland. 'At this point, it's just a matter of time before the institution dies out,' said a European diplomat on condition of anonymity. 'With this step, you have a much larger pool of clerics, making the Church's survival possible.' The EU wants Turkey to re-open a theological school on an island off Istanbul to show its commitment to democratic pluralism. The patriarchate trained clerics at the Halki seminary since the late Ottoman era until its closure in 1971 as political tensions flared with arch rival Greece over Cyprus. Granting citizenship to bishops would resolve a legal anomaly in the Holy Synod. Members are required to be citizens, but Bartholomew appointed foreigners in 2004 for the first time since the Turkish Republic was formed in 1923. Metropolitan Nikitas, a U.S.-born member of the synod and director of the Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkeley, Calif., applied for citizenship earlier this year. 'I chose to pursue this course of action, believing that it is one way I can assist the Ecumenical Patriarchate,' Nikitas, said.


The Prime Minister used the Turkish invasion date, to refer and assure the Cypriots, that Cyprus will continue to be a top priority for his Government. Papandreou said, “the goal is to end the Turkish occupation and attempted a fair and sustainable solution that operates within the UN framework.” “We fully support all three proposals made by President Christofia”. Further on, he pointed out that the role of Turkey is crucial and expressed his assurance that the efforts made will prosper. While concluding, he announced his departure to the Middle East, where he will discus Greece’s and Cyprus joint initiatives, in relation to, the humanitarian issue of Gaza. Dimitris Christofias, thanked the Prime Minister for his support and further on informed him about the publicety stunts the Turkish play. “We reply with actions. We want to encourage mobility and forward meeting.” Dimitris Christofias said. We have presented “specific proposals “. Mr. Christofias, noted three chapters of the Cyprus problem, property, territorial adjustment and the problem with those who settled. ”We urge Turkey to deliver the area of Barosia, to the United Nations. We urge them to allow the restoration of Famagusta and at the same time, to open it’s port, in order to, conduct trade from the Turkish Cypriot community,” the President said. Still, he continued, “we stated very clearly that we consider necessary the formation of an International Conference under the UN, along with the participation of the five permanent members of the Security Council, EU, Protective Powers, Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriots.”


As a chill continues to blow through Israel’s ties with Ankara, those with Athens are warming considerably, as evidenced by Wednesday’s visit by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. This will be the first visit to Israel by a Greek prime minister since Konstantinos Mitsotakis came in 1992. Once considered among the harshest critics of Israel inside the EU, along with countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Portugal and Belgium, Greece is no longer in that “basket,” one diplomatic official said. Papandreou, whose 36- hour visit will be rich in symbolic gestures, is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday afternoon and go immediately to a meeting with President Shimon Peres. Papandreou will then visit Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III in the Old City, followed by a meeting with Greek Holocaust survivors. On Thursday, his day will start with a wreath-laying ceremony at Herzl’s tomb, followed by a visit to Yad Vashem. He is then scheduled to hold a working lunch with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and back to back meetings with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and opposition head Tzipi Livni. He will then go to Ramallah for a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. According to one diplomatic official, the Greeks – looking at the Israeli-Turkish, and Turkish-US tensions – are realizing that strategic alliances in the region are changing, and that this might be a good time to get closer to Israel as a way of warming ties with Washington. When Israel had a close strategic alliance with Turkey, the official said, Athens gave up any thought of forging such an alliance with Israel. But now the situation with Ankara has changed, and Athens is seeing more opportunities with Israel. Ankara, meanwhile, has continued strengthening its relations with Hamas, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu meeting Hamas chief Khalad Mashaal in Damascus on Monday. According to the Turkish daily Hürriyet, Davutoglu and Mashaal discussed the Hamas-Fatah division, and “reviewed the efforts to revive peace talks between Palestine and Israel.” The paper quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Hamas was not a terrorist organization, but rather “a resistance group defending [its] territory.


A UN court quashed the war crimes acquittal Wednesday of ex-Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj and ordered that he be retried for murder and torture with two others, citing witness intimidation. "The appeals chamber ... orders that Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj be retried" on several counts on the initial indictment, said presiding judge Patrick Robinson of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). This would be the court's first-ever retrial, said ICTY spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic. Robinson ordered the three, all former senior figures in the separatist ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), to be detained in The Hague. Haradinaj, 42, and Balaj, 38, had been freed after their acquittal in April 2008 on numerous counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Serbs and political opponents -- including murder, torture and rape. Haradinaj, the most senior Kosovo leader to stand trial at the ICTY, was arrested in Kosovo on Tuesday on a warrant issued by the court "because they (the judges) wanted him to be here for the judgment," said Jelacic. Balaj, serving an unrelated sentence in a Kosovo jail, was not present. Co-accused Brahimaj, 40, who was convicted of torture and sentenced to six years in jail in 2008 but released pending the appeal outcome, sat next to Haradinaj in the accused box. Neither man displayed a reaction to the judges' majority decision. Haradinaj was a KLA commander at the time of the alleged atrocities, as was Balaj, who allegedly headed a paramilitary unit known as the Black Eagles. Brahimaj, 40, was a deputy commander of the KLA and ran the notorious Jablanica prison camp. The prosecution had sought 25-year prison terms for all three men on charges that included beating, torturing and murdering detainees suspected of collaborating with Serbs. But the judges found there was insufficient evidence following a trial marked by the reluctance of witnesses to testify, allegedly under threat. Robinson upheld an appeal by the prosecution, saying the trial chamber should have given prosecutors more time to secure the testimony of witnesses who had been intimidated. "The trial chamber failed to take sufficient steps to counter witness intimidation that permeated the trial," said the judge, ordering that Haradinaj and Balaj be retried on six war crimes charges, which include counts of murder, cruel treatment and torture, and Brahimaj on four. "Given the potential importance of these witnesses to the prosecution's case, the error undermined the fairness of the proceedings and resulted in a miscarriage of justice." The three men now stand accused anew of participation in a joint criminal enterprise to "consolidate total KLA control over the Dukagjin area through the unlawful removal and mistreatment of ... civilians," according to the judgement. They are also charged with individual criminal responsibility for some of the same crimes.


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has over 50,000 followers on the internet micro-blogging site Twitter. Medvedev opened his Twitter account and sent his first tweets during a visit to the Twitter headquarters in California's Silicon Valley on June 23. The Russian president is registered under KremlinRussia for Russian-language tweets and KremlinRussia_e for English speakers. Within 12 hours of opening his Twitter account, Medvedev had more than 15,000 followers. The Russian-language version now has more than 45,000 followers, and another 32,000 are following the president's English tweets. KremlinRussia is the first Russian microblog to receive a "verified" status from Twitter Inc., which confirms that the account is owned by the Russian president. Medvedev, who portrays himself as a young and technologically savvy leader, also has a blog on LiveJournal and an account on YouTube.


Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Wednesday called on Muslims to fight the "blind and savage terrorism" fueled by U.S. and Britain, whom he blamed for deadly bombings of an Iranian mosque. "In our region ... the blind and savage terrorism is borne out of the evil policies of the United States, Britain and their state and non-state mercenaries," Khamenei said in a statement marking the seventh day of mourning for victims of the bombings of a Shiite mosque in southeastern Iran. "All Muslims are required to combat and confront this evil and sinister offspring which is the epitome of corruption on earth and of waging war against God," the all-powerful Khamenei said in the statement read out on state television. Two suicide bombers on Thursday blew themselves up at a Shiite mosque in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan province which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, killing 28 people and wounding hundreds.


The Arizona Latino Republican Association (ALRA) has decided to become the first Hispanic organization in the country to The ALRA will make the announcement Thursday, Larry Klayman, founder of Freedom Watch, told Foxnews.com. He will appear at the event along with ALRA Chairman Jesse Hernandez and members of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association. That will make ALRA the first Hispanic group to "put a foot forward legally" in support of the new law by filing a motion to intervene against the Justice Department's lawsuit challenging it, Klayman said. So the ALRA becomes "in effect, a defendant" in the DOJ lawsuit, which names the state of Arizona and Republican Gov. Jan Brewer as defendants, he says. As for the motion, "We're still working on it," Klayman said. He expects it to be filed before a court hearing scheduled for Thursday on the DOJ lawsuit. "This is a way to tell the country that, 'Hey, we're Americans too and we believe in the rule of law," Klayman said. "It's a way to say, 'We got here legally, and we contributed a great deal. We want the rest of the country to recognize that we're with you [in the national immigration debate].’" The Justice Department claims the federal government has "preeminent authority" on immigration enforcement and that the Arizona law violates that authority. In court documents filed Tuesday, lawyers for Brewer wrote, "Arizona merely seeks to assist with the enforcement of existing federal immigration laws in a constitutional manner. It is (the Obama administration) that is attempting to impose immigration policies and priorities that contravene and conflict with federal law and unambiguous congressional intent."

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

20 July 1974-20 July 2010: 36yrs since #Turkey Invaded and continues to Illegally Occupy #Cyprus



Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas issued the following statement on the 36th anniversary of the illegal invasion and subsequent occupation of the Republic of Cyprus that occurred July 20, 1974: "Today marks a somber day as we observe the 36th anniversary of the illegal invasion and occupation of the Republic of Cyprus by the Republic of Turkey. This was, and remains to this very day, an intolerable act; one that is a gross violation of the rule of law, human rights, and democratic ideals. We pause to remember the innocent civilians who lost their lives and thousands who went missing, including four American citizens whose investigations remain incomplete. The illegal invasion and occupation caused the displacement of nearly 200,000 Greek Cypriot refugees, including my family, who to this day are unable to return to their homes which is also a violation of human rights as determined by the European Commission on Human Rights. "Today, the ongoing direct talks between Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and new hard-line Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, under the scope of the high-level UN Agreement of July 8, 2006, has provided minimal tangible progress toward a settlement to reunify Cyprus despite the former's submission of realistic proposals as recent as last week and because of the latter's continued insistence to present proposals outside UN parameters and European Union principles. We restate our call for the reunification of Cyprus, and its people, in a bicommunal and bizonal federation with a single sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship, with its independence and territorial integrity safeguarded, and comprising two politically equal communities as described in the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. We contend that such a solution is in the best interest of all Cypriots, and must emanate from Cypriots themselves. "However, ultimately the key to a successful settlement rests in Ankara. We call on the U.S. government to convey a strong message to Turkey that it must provide the Turkish Cypriot community with the necessary freedom to negotiate a solution within the July 8 framework, and equally as important, facilitate the removal of 43,000 of its troops from the island. "Therefore, on this 'black anniversary' we call on Turkey to begin the removal of its 43,000 troops from Cyprus. These are troops that we contend, as American citizens, would serve a better purpose, especially to NATO, in another theatre such as Afghanistan as opposed to Cyprus where there have been 15 million incident-free crossings by Greek and Turkish Cypriots. "We call for these actions in the best interests of the United States. A reunified Cyprus into a bizonal, bicommunal federation will strengthen the eastern Mediterranean and bring peace and security to the region. Furthermore, it will aid Turkey's candidacy to become a member of the European Union. "Our hope is that we will no longer need to observe this 'black anniversary,' but instead, celebrate the anniversary of a settlement. AHEPA remains committed to doing all within its power to keep the Cyprus issue in the public eye until a just and viable solution is realized."


Cyprus expects the United Nations and the international community to turn their attention to Turkey ”in order to pave the way for a solution” of the Cyprus problem, ”Turkey must leave behind words and slogans, and show in practice that it is ready for an honorable, viable and functional compromise,” President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias said on Sunday. Addressing an event for the persons missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, President Christofias said ”we are indeed dealing with a very difficult interlocutor,” who ”is declaring everywhere that it is seeking a solution within 2010.” He also pointed out that ”we are expecting the Turkish Cypriot leadership and Ankara to show in practice, at the negotiating table, that they are committed by the agreed framework and to submit reasonable and constructive proposals, which will create the preconditions for a realistic compromise.” He assured that the Greek Cypriot side would continue to sincerely pursue a settlement, providing for a bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined in UN resolutions, safeguarding the unity of the state. ”This is the historical compromise of the Greek Cypriot side,” he said, adding that ”a bizonal bicommunal federation solution will guard against division and division means destruction.” President Christofias welcomed a Greek delegation that attended the event and expressed appreciation for the work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, noting that the government supports its efforts. Referring to the Committee’s work, President Christofias said six teams were carrying out exhumations in the Turkish occupied areas and two in the government controlled areas, adding that after intensive efforts and representations in various directions, a commitment was obtained that investigations would be allowed in military zones in the Turkish occupied areas. He noted that the Committee has carried out 274 exhumations and found remains believed to belong to 600 persons missing from both sides on the island, and that so far the remains of 179 Greek Cypriots and 52 Turkish Cypriots have been identified by DNA. ”The Committee’s exhumation programme undoubtedly creates a climate of optimism,” he said but pointed out that efforts were being made so that Turkey fulfills its commitments and provides access to military records and other services, which will help determine the fate of missing persons. ”For us, the issue of missing persons, the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem, must not be seen through a political lens but everyone must show the necessary sensitivity in this humanitarian matter,” he added. President Christofias referred to the 1974 coup d’ etat and the Turkish invasion of the island a few days later, noting that ”the lessons of history must act as a calling for all of us to take our responsibilities in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, bringing the true reunification of our homeland, the people, the economy and the institutions, which will terminate occupation and settling, and will restore the human rights of the whole of the people of Cyprus.” ”Thus we will heal the wounds, those who fought and gave their lives will be justified, and we will truly guarantee a peaceful and hopeful future for our children,” he said.


Prime minister George Papandreou will meet on Tuesday with visiting Cyprus foreign minister Marios Kyprianou, while on Wednesday he will have a brief discussion with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias at Larnaca Airport, where he will be in transit for a few hours en route to Israel and Palestine. Papandreou said the situation in Cyprus must end and the wound of the unacceptable occupation must close, and called on Turkey to manifest the necessary political will for a just settlement of the Cyprus problem. In a message on Monday marking the 36th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the northern part of Cyprus, the premier reiterated Greece's active support for the efforts by President Christofias to achieve a settlement of the Cyprus problem at the negotiations table, adding that for Greece the Cyprus problem is a top national priority. He also called on Turkey to manifest the necessary political will for a just settlement of the Cyprus issue, without which there can be no full normalisation in Greek-Turkish relations. "It's (Turkey's) role is crucial and decisive for a speedy solution to the problem," Papandreou added, in a message. "The current situation in Cyprus is unacceptable and must be terminated," Papandreou said, and stressed the need for a just, viable and functional settlement based on the UN Security Council resolutions and EU decisions...a solution of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with a single sovereignty, a single international entity and a single citizenship.


“Too much time has passed since the Turkish invasion and today’s unacceptable situation must finally come to an end; all the occupation troops must leave the island, so that the Cypriot people can at last live in peace, safety and prosperity”, the Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Mr Demetris Droutsas stated yesterday after his meeting in Athens with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Markos Kyprianou. For his part, Mr Kyprianou said that the Republic of Cyprus remains committed to an agreed solution that will provide for the transformation of the island into a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality, based on the UN resolutions and of course the principles of international and European law. “But what is of particular importance is the need to preserve the nature of the process, which has been an integral part of the decision for the resumption of the direct negotiations, without timeframes or arbitration,” Mr Kyprianou said and added: “No one can change the rules of the game, since this has been the main prerequisite when the game started. We expect the Turkish side to contribute to the efforts with deeds and not simply to put the blame on others, as it seems to have been doing lately, but to concentrate on the substance and come to the talks with constructive proposals, rather than communication games and tactics.” Referring to the proposals of President Christofias and in particular to the proposal on the return of Famagusta to the United Nations, Mr Kyprianou noted that the opening of the Famagusta port under European Union auspices will give an impetus to the talks and help create a good climate between the two sides. “Of course, Mr Kyprianou added, “I will stress in particular the proposal on Famagusta, the return of the fenced-off town to the United Nations, as well as the opening of the Famagusta port to trade under the auspices and the management of the European Union”. Mr Kyprianou also underlined that Turkey must respect the international law and the Law of the Sea and reminded that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea has been ratified by all 27 member states of the European Union and by the European Community itself. “So if Turkey indeed wants to move towards the European Union – and really means it – then it must recognize the rights arising from this Convention that have been recognized by this Convention, and then proceed with signing and ratifying it”, he noted.


In the pages that follow, we will begin, in Part I, by taking a journey through Cyprus’ history leading up to Turkey’s military invasions in July and August 1974. We will prove that due to the treaties that were signed and the Constitution that was drafted for Cyprus, after she gained independence from Britain in 1960, set her on a collision course with outside control, occupation and division. In Part II, we will note that Turkey’s invasions that occurred in 1974 led to her constant violations and blatant disregard for international law. Subsequently, we will question why Turkey and her authorities have not been held accountable for their actions. Later, in Part III, Turkey’s “puppet regime”, the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (“TRNC”), declared itself an independent state. We will conclude that the “TRNC” did not satisfy the Montevideo requirements for acquisition of statehood. Therefore, the creation of such an entity is a violation of international law and subsequently, any recognition of the “TRNC” is also a violation of international law. In Part IV, we will cover the European Court of Human Rights and the decisions of Loizidou v. Cyprus and Cyprus v. Turkey. These two cases are important for the future of Cyprus and her people, both Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike. Then we will, in Part V, review the “Joint Legal Opinion” of legal experts in regards to several issues affecting Cyprus today. We will address various issues relating to human rights violations committed in Cyprus, by Turkey. For instance, we will cover forcible transfers as breaches of particular human rights standards, forcible transfers as racial, religious or other discrimination: “ethnic cleansing”, large scale forcible transfers as a crime against humanity, and forcible expulsion by a belligerent or unlawful occupant. Part VI will assess the European Stance on the Cyprus Problem and European Union Membership. We will also include a section devoted to the winners and losers of Cyprus’ accession into the European Union. Subsequently, we will conclude that Turkey has the most to lose and gain by solving the Cyprus Problem prior to Cyprus’ accession. In Part VII, we will review the issues relating to the Turkish “settlers” and the Turkish policy of “Turkification” in the “occupied areas” of Cyprus. This will include the creation of citizenship laws in the “occupied areas”, contrary to the Republic of Cyprus’ laws, in order to give “settlers” Turkish-Cypriot citizenship. Part VIII will be devoted exclusively to the Turkish-Cypriot press. In this section, we will include several articles written by Turkish-Cypriot journalists regarding the crisis that exists in “occupied” Cyprus. This will help the reader understand that a solution will help the Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots alike. Then, in Part IX, we will look into various means of finding a just and viable solution to the Cyprus Problem. We will begin by looking into Turkey’s military action and occupation as illegal and “an act of aggression” that cannot be sanctioned. Therefore, we will conclude that since Turkey’s initial action was illegal, anything that flows from that initial illegal act is, therefore, also illegal. Then, we will look into the mandatory steps that need to be taken in order for there to be a solution that is fair for all the people of Cyprus. For instance, we will conclude that the Turkish military withdrawal from Cyprus, the return of refugees and displaced persons to their country, property and homes, and that the repatriation of Turkish “settlers” is the only means at finding a realistic solution. Additionally, we understand that every individual has rights, hence, we will question whether any of the “settlers” in the “occupied areas” have any legal right to remain in Cyprus. Finally, in Part X, we will present our conclusion based on the facts and law established in the proceedings pages. We will argue that the continuing illegal acts committed by Turkey, in Cyprus, shall no longer be unnoticed or ignored by the international community. The solution should not legalize the atrocities that have been committed by Turkey. Most importantly, the solution should not waive or ignore any rights that any displaced person or refugee is or has been entitled to since Turkey’s act of aggressions in 1974. To read this report in full, please visit A United Cyprus.


This brief booklet contains substantive information on the documented and continuing violations of internationally protected human rights committed by Turkey in Cyprus. These violations are the direct outcome of Turkey’s unlawful 1974 invasion of the Republic of Cyprus, of the continuing occupation of nearly 37% of its sovereign territory, and the systematic ethnic cleansing that occurred in the area of Cyprus under Turkish occupation. To read this book in its entirety, please click here.


In light of Ankara's recent criticism of what it calls Israel's "open-air jail" in Gaza, today's date, which marks the anniversary of Turkey's invasion of Cyprus, has special relevance. Turkish policy toward Israel, historically warm and only a decade ago approaching full alliance, has cooled since Islamists took power in Ankara in 2002. Their hostility became explicit in January 2009, during the Israeli-Hamas war... Their verbal assaults augured a further hostility that included insulting the Israeli president, helping sponsor the "Freedom Flotilla" and recalling the Turkish ambassador. This Turkish rage prompts a question: Is Israel in Gaza really worse than Turkey in Cyprus? A comparison finds this hardly to be so. Consider some contrasts: *Turkey's invasion of July-August 1974 involved the use of napalm and "spread terror" among Cypriot Greek villagers, according to Minority Rights Group International. In contrast, Israel's "fierce battle" to take Gaza relied on only conventional weapons and entailed virtually no civilian casualties. *The subsequent occupation of 37 percent of the island amounted to a "forced ethnic cleansing," William Mallinson said in a just-published monograph from the University of Minnesota. In contrast, if one wishes to accuse the Israeli authorities of ethnic cleansing in Gaza, it was against their own people, the Jews, in 2005. *The Turkish government has sponsored what Mr. Mallinson calls "a systematic policy of colonization" on formerly Greek lands in Northern Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots in 1973 totaled about 120,000 people; since then, more than 160,000 citizens of the Republic of Turkey have been settled in their lands. Not a single Israeli community remains in Gaza. *Ankara runs its occupied zone so tightly that, in the words of Bulent Akarcali, a senior Turkish politician, "Northern Cyprus is governed like a province of Turkey." An enemy of Israel, Hamas, rules in Gaza. *The Turks set up a pretend-autonomous structure called the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus." Gazans enjoy real autonomy. *A wall through the island keeps peaceable Greeks out of Northern Cyprus. Israel's wall excludes Palestinian terrorists. And then there is the ghost town of Famagusta, where Turkish actions parallel those of Syria under the thuggish Assads. After the Turkish air force bombed the Cypriot port city, Turkish forces moved in to seize it, thereby prompting the entire Greek population (fearing a massacre) to flee. Turkish troops immediately fenced off the central part of the town, called Varosha, and prohibited anyone from living there. As this crumbling Greek town is reclaimed by nature, it has become a bizarre time capsule from 1974. Mr. Erdogan claims that Turkish troops are not occupying Northern Cyprus but are there in "Turkey's capacity as a guarantor power," whatever that means. The outside world, however, is not fooled. While Elvis Costello recently pulled out of a concert in Tel Aviv to protest the "suffering of the innocent [Palestinians]," Jennifer Lopez canceled a concert in Northern Cyprus to protest "human rights abuse" there. In brief, Northern Cyprus shares features with Syria and resembles an "open-air jail" more than Gaza does. How rich that a hypocritical Ankara preens its moral plumage about Gaza even as it runs a zone significantly more offensive. Instead of meddling in Gaza, Turkish leaders should close the illegal and disruptive occupation that for decades has tragically divided Cyprus.