I. EUOBSERVER - EU remains divided on Kosovo despite court opinion
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.
II. B92 - London court rejects Ganić extradition
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.
VI. THEPHILADEPHIAORCHESTRA - Aretha Franklin & Condoleezza Rice perform together
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.
VII. VOLTAIRENET - Rome, Moscow alliance against freedom of conscience
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.