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Thursday, September 30, 2010

FYROMacedonia;Cyprus solution unlikely;EU-Turkey-NATO,Pakistan blocks supply;Child Adoptions;Veterans Benefit Act;Serbian Patriarch



The dispute between Athens and Skopje about the use of the name Macedonia has been raised by leaders from the two countries in speeches and meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. On September 28 2010, Greek foreign minister Dimitrios Droutsas said in a speech to the UN General Assembly that Athens was ready to reach a solution "as early as tomorrow" on the long-standing dispute. Greece objects to Skopje’s use of the name "Republic of Macedonia" as historically inappropriate and, given that Greece has a northern province called Macedonia, says that Skopje could exploit the use of the name for its own country to reinforce its territorial claims in Greece. Droutsas told the General Assembly: "This is not a bilateral, pedantic dispute about historical symbols, as some may try to portray it, but a regional question, with deep historical roots, related to good neighbourliness," the UN News Service said. "In order to reach a compromise on the name issue, the two sides must meet in the middle by taking reciprocal steps to bridge the gap and reconcile their conflicting positions," Droutsas said, emphasising that "Greece has already done its part". He said that a fair and durable solution for the name requires a geographic qualifier. "Macedonia is a large geographic region, most of which lies in Greece," with a small part in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and a smaller section in Bulgaria, Droutsas said. He called on prime minister Nikola Gruevski, the prime minister in Skopje, to "display leadership and become our partner for progress". The country must focus on finding a solution, rather than "creating [an] atmosphere of antagonism or even animosity and of avoiding taking responsibilities," Droutsas said. "Greece is extending a hand of friendship and co-operation," he said. "The time has come for our neighbours to take this hand." On September 24, Macedonian president Gjorge Ivanov told the General Assembly that he was hopeful that agreement can be reached with neighbouring over the name issue. Ivanov said that he had met Greek prime minister George Papandreou on September 23 at UN Headquarters in New York with the aim of "building a climate of mutual trust and understanding." "I hope that, as two neighbouring countries that have lived and will live with one another, we will be able to find a mutually acceptable solution," Ivanov told the Assembly debate, according to the UN News Service "It will be a big step for us, but a huge step towards fulfilling the common vision for our whole region. "I must tell you that I am encouraged with the situation in the region. The more intensive [the] communication and cooperation, the better [the] understanding and respect," Ivanov said. On September 27, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks with Macedonian foreign minister Antonio Milososki, discussing the Macedonia name dispute.


With U.N.-backed negotiations over the reunification of Cyprus at an impasse, a solution may not come before the end of the year, Republic of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias said during a visit this week to Washington. In an interview with POLITICO, Christofias -- leader of the internationally recognized Greek government of the island -- said that he felt a “lack of goodwill” on the part of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership in negotiating reunification. The main sticking point in the talks which began in 2008 is over how to resolve property issues left over from the 1974 Turkish invasion that divided the island. Some 35,000 Turkish troops still occupy the northern third in defiance of U.N. resolutions. The region calls itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, but only Turkey recognizes it. Christofias’s skepticism contrasted with the words of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, who told Reuters earlier in September that talks right now should be seen as a “last chance,” and that a solution is to be found “by the end of 2010.” United Nations special envoy for Cyprus Alexander Downer also expressed hope Tuesday that a deal could be brokered by the end of the year. “Eroglu says strange things,” Christofias said when asked about the Turkish Cypriot leader’s concern that Greek Cypriots must “share pain” and make concessions along with Turkish Cypriots in negotiations. “Eroglu must not speak about concessions, he must speak about reasonable moves in order to meet the needs of the Greek Cypriots -- not only of the Turkish Cypriots. I think a leader who states that he wants a solution in 2010 has to be reasonable, he has to take into account the international law and the human rights of the whole people of Cyprus," he said. “The property issue is a very difficult one, its very complicated, in fact if we could find common language on this issue, we shall move forward substantively, but he refuses to connect this aspect with territorial adjustments.” Christofias also said he would like to see Turkish troops leave the island as a gesture of commitment. “If they want to show good will, they could make a move ... they don’t unfortunately.” There are also some concerns about how the peace process could be affected by Greek Cypriot parliamentary elections and elections in Turkey next year. “I want to assure you that our elections wouldn’t affect [the peace process], because I am ready if Turkey is to move forward, but I feel that the Turkish elections could be affected,” Chrisiofias told POLITICO.


Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of NATO, has called on the European Union to give Turkey a role in the Union's security policy. He said that NATO and the EU had to find pragmatic ways to improve their co-operation. Under his proposals, the EU would conclude a security agreement with Turkey, give Turkey special status with the European Defence Agency, and involve it in decision-making on EU security missions. Fogh Rasmussen told European Voice that such measures were required to overcome the chief obstacle to closer EU-NATO co-operation, the division of Cyprus. NATO member Turkey has been occupying the northern third of the island since 1974, but the rest of Cyprus became part of the EU in 2004. Fogh Rasmussen said that because of mutual vetoes by Cyprus in the EU and Turkey in NATO, co-operation between the two organisations was hamstrung. “We are in the absurd situation that the only issue we are allowed to discuss in formal joint EU-NATO meetings is Bosnia,” he said. A special arrangement was found for co-operation between NATO headquarters and the EU missions in Macedonia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the arrangement does not apply to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Somalia where both organisations have separate missions. With prospects for a Cyprus settlement receding, pressure for a more permanent mechanism to allow strategic co-operation is growing. Fogh Rasmussen is preparing for a NATO summit in Lisbon on 19-20 November, at which he will present his strategic concept for NATO. “It is my intention to make an EU-NATO partnership an important part of the strategic concept,” he said. “If we are to put substance into that, then we need some progress on the ground, and this is the reason why I have accompanied the strategic concept with more pragmatic proposals as to how we could overcome the obstacles,” Fogh Rasmussen said. The NATO summit, which will be attended by US President Barack Obama, will be followed by an EU-US summit. The US has been urging its European allies to work more closely on defence matters with Turkey.


Pakistan blocked a major NATO supply line into Afghanistan today, in apparent retaliation for a cross-border helicopter attack. A pair of NATO helicopters opened fire on a border village in Pakistan’s Kurram region this morning, killing three Frontiers Corps troops, Pakistani security tells Reuters. Within hours, roughly 100 NATO trucks were lined up waiting to cross the border, the AP reports. NATO says it is investigating the incident. “We will have to see whether we are allies or enemies,” Pakistan’s Interior minister said of the attack, without mentioning the blockade. But a senior security official confirmed that supplies have been stopped. “It has been done locally,” he said. The blockade, which has the potential to cripple the Afghan war effort, marks a new high in US-Pakistani tensions, and comes just as CIA chief Leon Panetta arrived in Pakistan for a previously planned meeting with the head of the ISI.


Russia and the United States are likely to sign a child adoption agreement by the end of 2010, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday. "The text of the Russian-U.S. agreement on cooperation in international adoptions, intended to provide solid guarantees of adopted children's rights, was agreed upon during the bilateral consultations in July," Andrei Nesterenko told journalists in Moscow. He said a final round of consultations, after which the document will be ready for signing, is expected to take place before the end of the year. Russia is one of the largest sources of adoptions for U.S. families, accounting for about 10 percent of foreign adoptions. The mistreatment of Russian children, adopted in the United States, has begun attracting public attention in recent months as a result of a number of highly publicized incidents. In June, a 7-year-old boy who was placed alone on a one-way flight to Moscow by his U.S. adoptive mother with a note claiming he was "psychopathic." Following the case, Russia threatened to prohibit child adoptions by U.S. citizens until the countries sign an intergovernmental agreement guaranteeing the rights of adoptive children.


In one of their last moves before heading into the pre-election recess, House lawmakers last night passed the Veterans Benefits Act of 2010, which includes a host of changes to VA programs and updates concerning the rights of deployed active duty troops. The White House is expected to sign the measure into law in coming days. The bill is a compromise measure between the House and Senate which encompasses a number of smaller, stand-alone veterans benefits bills. It includes improvements to employment programs, homeless outreach efforts, disabled veterans assistance and research into future medical needs of returning troops. Here's a look at some of the highlights: -- Prohibits early termination fees for certain contracts (like cell phone service and residential leases) after troops receive orders to relocate. -- Reauthorizes a recently expired VA work-study program, and expand the type of work available for participating veterans. -- Requires the VA to verify to operate a database of veteran-owned small businesses and service-connected veteran-owned small businesses. -- Authorizes $10 million more to provide dedicated services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children. -- Allows 100 percent disabled veterans to receive free Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage for two years following separation from active or reserve duty. -- Increases the automobile allowance for disabled veterans from $11,000 to $18,900. -- Allows parents whose child died while on active duty to be buried in a national cemetery with that child. -- Instructs the Institute of Medicine to carry out a comprehensive review of best treatment practices for chronic multi-symptom illness in Gulf War veterans.


Serbian Patriarch Irinej stated on Wednesday that peace is in the interest of the Church and the time we live in. He spoke in favor of negotiations between Belgrade and Priština, but in such a way that would satisfy both Serbs and ethnic Albanians. "We wish that there is dialogue between representatives of Serbia and the self-styled authorities in Kosovo, that there are talks that will attempt to reach the most just solution," the patriarch stated. Such a solution, according to the head of the Orthodox Serb Christians, who will be enthroned at the seat of the Church in Kosovo on Sunday, should not see Serbs lose everything and Albanians gain everything. "I am speaking for myself and on behalf of the Church, we will never and under any circumstances renounce Kosovo, and a just solution would be a gift from God both for us and them (ethnic Albanians). Any other solution, especially one absolutely detrimental for Serbia, would represent a permanent source of discord that will bring nothing but a potential for what nobody wants to see in the future," he warned. He said that his official enthronement is a spiritual and religious ceremony of immense significance, and expressed his belief that everyone will contribute so that it be held in peace and order. "We want to show what the Patriarchate of Peć means to the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and the Serb people, and what the ceremony represents for the life of the Church. We therefore hope that everything will go as we have planned and as wish it to be. We hope that the ones engaged in the matter of Kosovo-Metohija will also understand this," the Patriarch said in an interview for Tanjug. The patriarch, however, admitted that he is somewhat concerned. "Having in mind the many (unfortunate) events of the past, we have reason to be somewhat concerned. That is why we would like that conditions be provided for the Serbian people to come without any difficulty or incidents, so that the enthronement could be carried out in perfect peace and order," he said. The patriarch described himself as a pacifist who holds ecumenical values and said he would welcome the visit of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church to Serbia, but that the invitation must come from the Assembly of the Holy Synod of the SPC. Speaking about the status of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch told Tanjug that this is still a deep wound which was inflicted on the Serbian Church, and qualified the split as a the result of political moves premeditated by the communists who wanted to separate two close peoples. After lengthy talks in the 1960s, it was decided that autonomy be given to the Macedonian Orthodox Church within the canonical unity of the SPC. As for the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which has not been canonized, the patriarch said that this is "no church, but rather a breakaway church community" which has its own leader. "They were all (Montenegrin Church) deprived of their status before turning into what they are now, since Metropolitan Mihailo was defrocked by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople," Irinej recalled, adding that a breakaway group can hardly constitute a church. "The Montenegrin authorities support such a community, which does not do them credit and which speaks volumes of a deviant situation they will be ashamed of one day, but this is the way things stand," the Patriarch stated.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

US House,Cyprus;Greece-EU-Serbia;Croatian war criminal;EC-France-Roma;Eiffel Tower;Berlusconi vote;Orthodoxy in China



Around 500 churches, monasteries, cemeteries and other religious sites in the Republic of Cyprus have been desecrated, pillaged, looted and destroyed since Turkey invaded the northern region on July 20th 1974. That prompted Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), co-chair of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, to introduce a bipartisan resolution calling for the protection of religious sites and artifacts from and in Turkish-occupied areas of northern Cyprus as well as for general respect for religious freedom. The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the resolution, H. Res. 1631. “Congress has shown it is making international religious freedom a priority,” said Bilirakis, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the International Religious Freedom Caucus. Turkish soldiers have been witnessed throwing icons from looted churches onto burning pyres and leaving churches open to both looters and vandals. “This measure highlights the continued violations that are taking place in Cyprus even as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence, which is certainly a milestone, but is also a reminder that roughly one-third of Cyprus has been under Turkish military occupation for more than 35 years,” Bilirakis said. The resolution also urges the Turkish government to protect the cultural and religious heritage of the Greek Cypriots living in the northern-occupied areas of the country, who have been prohibited from worshiping freely due to the restricted access to religious sites and continued destruction of the property of the Church of Cyprus. “We’re calling on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to investigate and make recommendations on violations of these religious freedoms,” Bilirakis said. “Additionally, I continue to call on Turkey to remove its troops from Cyprus, remove its settlers, and come to the negotiating table in good faith to find a solution that is just for the Cypriot people.” This resolution also demands that Turkey be held responsible for the continued violations of humanitarian law with respect to the destruction of religious and cultural property in Cyprus. Turkey’s actions in the occupied areas of Cyprus violate its obligations under several conventions to which it is a signatory. “Equal support from my Republican and Democratic colleagues illustrates that Congress can work together in a bipartisan manner when it comes to condemning violations of religious freedom throughout the world,” Bilirakis said. Watch Rep. Bilirakis deliver remarks on the House Floor here. Read H. Res. 1631 here.


Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas tokd the UN General Assembly that a path for beginning of Serbia’s accession negotiations with the EU should be kept open and clear. He pointed out that acceptance of his country’s initiative to have all Balkans countries in the EU by 2014 would contribute to progress and stabilization of the region. “Such decision would encourage reforms and fulfilling of other obligations by potential EU members which is a condition for their entry into the EU,” the Greek FM pointed out. Droutsas has repeated that EU’s actions in the region “during the breakdown of Yugoslavia” were inadequate and with harmful consequences. There are numerous consequences and the key one is, he stressed, the issue of Kosovo which should be most urgently solved. The voice of the EU should be the most powerful in solving of that issue, the Greek official concluded.


A powerful Croatian parliament deputy who fled to Bosnia last year to avoid going to jail for war crimes has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Bosnian court, upholding a Croatian court's earlier verdict. Branimir Glavas was the first senior Croatian official convicted of war crimes committed against Serbs during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. "The court of Bosnia-Herzegovina reached and handed down the verdict under which Branimir Glavas is declared guilty for the criminal act of war crimes against the civilian population," the Bosnian court said in a statement on Wednesday. A Croatian court sentenced Glavas in May 2009 to 10 years over the 1991 torture and killing of Serb civilians in his native town of Osijek, but he fled to Bosnia where he was protected from extradition as a Bosnian passport holder. Since then, Glavas has lived in the village of Drinovci in the southern Herzegovina region where his parents were born. Bosnia and Croatia signed a deal in February to stop people with dual citizenship convicted of a crime in one country from avoiding jail by fleeing to the other, which allowed the Bosnian police to arrest Glavas on Tuesday afternoon. "The court sentenced Branimir Glavas to eight years in prison. The court also ordered a detention for the accused in the duration of nine months at most, or until the court takes a new decision," the court said.


The European Commission said Wednesday it has decided to take legal actions against France over its expulsion of Roma people. After assessing overall situation of the Roma, the commission concluded that the right of every EU citizen to free movement within the European Union (EU) is one of the bloc's fundamental principles, said commission spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde. The commission believed France has not applied EU rules allowing free movement of EU citizens, she said, so it decided to launch legal actions, including sending an official notification letter to France, which could eventually lead to a court case. France's decision to expulse Roma people in August led to a blazing row between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Union (EU) Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who compared the expulsions to deportations of Jews during World War II. Though EU authorities agreed that commissioner Reding' s statement overstepped the mark, European leaders all recognized that the commission, in its role of guardian of the EU treaties, has to examine France' s policy and actions towards Travellers. Recent developments in France have led to a detailed exchange between the commission and French authorities on the application of EU law on free movement of people.


The Eiffel Tower and the area around it in Paris were evacuated for 45 minutes on Tuesday after emergency services received a telephone bomb threat. It was the second such incident in as many weeks involving the landmark. In this latest threat, the fire service received a call from a public phone box in Paris alerting them to a suspicious package. On neither occasion did security forces find any explosives. French officials have said the country is on a heightened level of readiness after receiving a tip-off of a planned suicide attack on the Paris Metro. The interior minister has warned of a real terrorism threat from al-Qaeda militants in north Africa.


Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will probably win a confidence vote today after a splinter group that left his party in July promised to back him. Berlusconi, who turns 74 today, outlined five priorities for the remaining 30 months of his term in an hour-long speech to the Chamber of Deputies in Rome. Lawmakers will vote beginning at 7 p.m. on whether to support the premier. A loss would bring down his government. A July 30 split with Gianfranco Fini, co-founder of his People of Liberty party, robbed Berlusconi of an absolute majority in the lower house. Fini’s allies today pledged to back Berlusconi, who also is seeking to broaden his support so he doesn’t have to depend on his former ally. Fini, 58, was ejected from Berlusconi’s party after criticizing the premier for not allowing dissent. “We will vote yes” to the government, European Affairs Minister Andrea Ronchi, a member of Fini’s group, said after Berlusconi’s speech. Fini’s support should guarantee the survival of the government. “It’s in the absolute interest of the country not to risk a political crisis” during a moment of economic “instability,” Berlusconi said in his speech. He called on lawmakers to “make an effort to avoid a crisis, and a commitment to complete the legislature together.”


A unique book entitled ‘Orthodoxy in China’ has come out. It describes the birth and development of the Orthodox culture in the Celestial Empire. During his official visit to China on 27 September 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev presented the Chairman Hu Jintao with a copy of this book. The book is an academic edition published in Russian and Chinese with rich illustrations. It was prepared for print and published with the blessing of the DECR chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, and through the efforts of his staff members, as well as the Russian Academy of Science’s Institute of the Far East and the Russian-Chinese Business Council. "Russia and China are countries with rich spiritual traditions. At present our countries follow with confidence a path of developing strategic partnership. An important support on this path is provided by the knowledge of our common history, including the history of Orthodoxy in China," Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russian noted in his address to the readers of the book. The volume is published to coincide with the 325th anniversary of Orthodoxy in China. To mark this anniversary, Orthodox divine services have been resumed in several churches in Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai – a result of long-standing efforts to find new ways in which the Russian Orthodox Church could help normalize the situation of the Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church and to broaden cooperation with religious, public, academic and governmental bodies in China. Orthodoxy came to China in 1685 when a Russian priest by name of Maxim Leontyev came to Beijng together with Cassock captives. In 1712, a Russian Orthodox Mission was established in China, which acted for a long time as Russia’s diplomatic representation. The linguistic and cultural studies undertaken by the Mission made a considerable contribution to the development of sinology in Russia and the world. The Mission’s principal concern however was the preaching of the Gospel. By the 20th century, a numerous Chinese flock had formed in China with their own national clergy and later episcopate. The Chinese Autonomous Orthodox Church was a fruit of spiritual work of Russian missionaries and Russian re-settlers in China, but the development of this young church body was tragically interrupted by the Cultural Revolution. Nevertheless the Orthodox Church in China has survived to this day. Today there are about 15 thousand Orthodox believers there.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Varosha,Cyprus;Amnesty,EU,Roma,Kosovo;EFJ,Turkey journalists;PA,Israel,US;NATO new concept;Greece,N.Korean arms;Orthodox-Catholic dialogue



The European Commission believes that the return of the fenced off town of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants will be one of the key elements for the achievement of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. A Commission's press release notes that “it is clear that the return of the city of Varosha to its lawful inhabitants is due to be one of the key elements of a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem”, adding that it “fully supports efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem”. It also clarifies that ''it fully supports and is ready to assist in any effort to solve the problem that could be agreed between the two leaders of the two communities(in the context of the ongoing negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations) and is agreeable to the principles of the European Union, including the issue of Famagusta / Varosha”. The Commission issued the press release to express its regret for the "misinterpretation of a response given to a Cypriot journalist's question", adding that "our response was not referring to the proposal of President of the Republic of Cyprus". The Cypriot President has announced three proposals on the Cyprus issue. One of them urges Turkey to implement UN Security Council resolution 550, which calls for the transfer of the fenced off area of Varosha (on the east), in Famagusta, now under Turkish occupation, to the administration of the United Nations. Part of this proposal is the opening of the port of Famagusta under EU auspices to benefit the Turkish Cypriots. UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha (the fenced off area of Famagusta) by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. The UN - led Cyprus talks resumed in September 2008 between President Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Talks continue now with Eroglu, who succeeded Talat in April this year.


Amnesty International has asked of the EU to terminate the forced return of Roma and other minority members to Kosovo. The report reads that the Kosovo authorities have not managed to provide Roma with documents and guarantee them rights to education, health care, employment and housing. Ever since the unilateral proclamation of independence of Kosovo several thousand Roma have been returned there and it is likely that at least half of them will leave Kosovo again, BBC quotes Amnesty, adding that a similar fate awaits thousands of Roma. Amnesty warned EU member-states that they risked breaking the international law by returning people into regions where they are threatened with persecution and that, instead, they should continue giving international protection to Roma and other minorities until it has become safe for them to retun to Kosovo.


Journalists currently in jail in Turkey must be set free immediately, says the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) if the movement towards key changes in the country's constitution is to deliver promises of democracy and freedom. The EFJ has joined its affiliate, the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS), in a call for the immediate and unconditional release of more than 40 journalists jailed in Turkey who they say are in prison for nothing more than doing their job. They made the call after a majority of Turkish citizens voted "Yes" to amending the country's constitution in a referendum earlier this month. "We demand the immediate release of all journalists whose continued detention has only served to show the country's intolerance of real democratic debate," said Arne König, EFJ President, "The vote for changes on September 12 would open the possibility of genuine change and modernization. It is prime time for the Government to show leadership and to end the climate of fear and intimidation which still surrounds the work of Turkish journalists." The Turkish journalists currently in prison are awaiting trial on charges of violating the Turkish penal code or anti-terror laws through their work as journalists. In addition, over 700 Turkish journalists are facing law suits, with the threat of imprisonment. "These journalists are guilty only of doing their job honestly and professionally," said König. "It is unconscionable to be locked up for carrying out their normal journalistic duties." The frustration of European journalists is shared by journalists' leaders inside the country. The TGS has already joined forces with 18 other journalists' organisations to establish the Freedom for Journalists Platform to monitor issues concerning the freedom of journalists on 25 August. A council of law will be set up to review judicial cases concerning press freedom in Turkey. The EFJ calls on its member unions and civil society groups to join the campaign to free jailed Turkish journalists. Please open click this link to sign and send the e-card to the Prime Minister of Turkey, Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.


Palestinian Authority negotiator Nabil Sha'ath said on Tuesday that the Palestinians are giving the US and Israel four or five days to a week to find a solution to the issue of the West Bank settlement freeze. Sha'ath said that there will not be talks between Israel and the Palestinians until building is frozen in the West Bank. "Maybe the Israelis will examine their stance on the issue and understand the whole world opposes the continuation of building in the settlements," Sha'th continued. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told radio station Europe 1 that he will stop talks if the settlement freeze is not reinstated, AFP reported on Tuesday. "We don't want to stop the talks, but if the building continues, we will have to put a stop to them," Abbas said. "[Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu must know that peace is more important than settlements... We ask for a moratorium during negotiations, because as long as there are negotiations, there is hope," he reportedly told the radio station in Arabic.


NATO Council envoys have begun to discuss a new strategic concept for the military alliance, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said on Tuesday. The so-called group of wise men, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, released on May 17 a 46-page report with their recommendations for NATO's strategic goals for the next decade. The 2010 Strategic Concept will replace the 1999 concept. The report, titled "NATO 2020: Assured Security: Dynamic Engagement", recommends that NATO engage dynamically with countries and organizations that are outside the Euro-Atlantic region. There is also a proposal to incorporate NATO forces into the larger UN military structure, allowing NATO to conduct operations all over the world, possibly in partnership with other countries (Russia, China). The new concept is expected to be approved at the alliance's summit in Lisbon in November.


A government official in Greece says authorities are inspecting a cargo ship suspected of carrying weapon parts from North Korea to Syria. The official says inspectors on Tuesday searched freight containers looking for possible "dual use" materials that would violate a United Nations arms embargo on North Korea. The official gave no other details and asked not to be named, pending a formal announcement on the results of the inspection. Greek state-run media says the inspection is taking place at the country's main port of Piraeus, near Athens.


The Moscow Patriarchate has denied media reports claiming that a breakthrough has been accomplished in the Orthodox-Catholic dialogue at a meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue in Vienna last week. "Contrary to media reports, no 'breakthroughs' were accomplished. The entire meeting was devoted to the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium. The Coordinating Committee had drafted a report, which was discussed in Cyprus last year. The raw copy of this document was leaked to the media and was published," Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Department of External Church Relations, said in a statement. "It was thought that the discussion of this document would be finished in Vienna, he said. "But this did not happen and much time was spent on a discussion of the status of this text. The Orthodox participants had been arguing from the start that the 'Cretan document' (updated later in Cyprus - IF) cannot be officially published on behalf of the commission, or signed by its members. In our opinion, this document is in need of thorough editing. But even after editing, it may only have the status of a 'working' document. i.e., the status of 'instrument laboris' which can be used to prepare subsequent documents. But by itself it cannot have any official status," he said. Metropolitan Hilarion said that the document drafted in Crete is of "purely historical character," which, while elaborating on the role of the Bishop of Rome, almost does not mention bishops of other local churches in the first millennium, which creates a wrong understanding of how powers were distributed in the ancient Church, he said. In addition to this, the document carries no clear assertion that the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium did not extend to the East. Metropolitan Hilarion said that these blank spaces would hopefully be filled in the edited text. Following a long-lasting discussion, the commission agreed that the draft needs to be edited and that the decision on its final status will be announced at the next plenary meeting, in about two years. A new document, which will look at the same problem from a theologian point of view, is expected to be drafted by the same time. It is clear for the Orthodox participants that the jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome only extended to the West in the first millennium, Metropolitan Hilarion said. In the East, the territories were divided between the four Patriarchates of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antiochia and Jerusalem. The Bishop of Rome "had no direct jurisdiction over the East," even though in individual instances Eastern hierarchs would turn to him as an arbiter in theologian disputes, he said. "These instances were not systematic and cannot in any way suggest that the Bishop of Rome was seen in the East as the possessor of supreme authority over the Universal Church," the Metropolitan said. The Catholic side will hopefully accept this position at subsequent sessions - a position which is being confirmed by numerous historical evidence.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Greece-Serbia;Cyprus culture pillaged,Court orders return;Hugo Chavez;Soros,J-Street;Iran,Russia,S-300;"By This Sign Conquer"



Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Saturday met with his Serbian counterpart Dragan Sutanovac during a working lunch at the Thessaloniki Officers' Club. The two ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, in the wake of similar contacts previously on the occasion of a visit to Greece by the president of Serbia. Venizelos noted that Greece facilitate Serbia's accession to Euro-Atlantic institutions, while reiterated Athens' support for Serbia's European and Euro-Atlantic prospects, along with all other western Balkan countries. In reference to Kosovo, Venizelos stressed that Greece is present in Kosovo because it wants to contribute to regional stability. "We hope that a solution, within the framework of international law, will be reached that will be acceptable to all, and certainly acceptable by Serbia, which has a well-known historical interest for this region." On his part, Sutanovac praised Athens' clear-cut position, which he called a position of principle on the most important issue for Serbia in the current period. "We are experiencing and will continue to experience a difficult period," he said. The Serbian DM nevertheless said he believes that with the contribution of all parties, including Greece, peace and stability can be achieved not only in Kosovo and Serbia but throughout the region.


Cyprus's cultural heritage has been heavily pillaged - despite international agreements concerning its protection - as a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974, President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias has stressed.President Christofias was addressing the Annual Ranieri Colloquium on Ancient Studies "Archaeologies of Yeronisos off Cyprus: The island beyond the island," in New York on Saturday, organised in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the twentieth anniversary of the New York University Yeronisos Island Excavations.The President noted that, "a country's history and cultural heritage is without doubt one of the most important factors that shape its relations with the outside world, but also its internal development." "Cultural events such as this colloquium and also the upcoming exhibition at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution entitled "Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilisations" demonstrate the importance of cultural exchanges and the sharing of knowledge," he added.He further said that "the Republic of Cyprus may be celebrating its 50th birthday, but the island's heritage dates back to at least ten thousand years," noting that "the protection and the study of this heritage is of utmost importance to the government of Cyprus." It is enough to mention, he added, "that Cyprus currently hosts more than thirty foreign archaeological missions that are active on the island, the largest percentage of which comes from institutions of the United States of America."


A German court has ordered the repatriation of priceless Cypriot treasures, stolen from Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied part of the country. A press release, issued by the Law Office of the Republic of Cyprus, says that in 2004 the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Church of the Maronites and the Church of the Armenians filed a civil law suit before Munich District Court to retrieve stolen antiquities, which had been in the custody for the Bavarian authorities since 1997. The said antiquities were located in 1997 by the Bavarian police, hidden in between walls and under the floor of two flats which belong to a Turkish national, Aydin Dickmen, in Munich. Part of the findings include religious icons, part of mosaics and pieces of Byzantine frescoes of priceless historic, cultural and religious value. Since these were located, the government and the Church of Cyprus had made several moves to have these artifacts repatriated. The moves did not yield any results and it was decided to file a civil law suit before the German courts. On Thursday, 23 September, Munich District Court issued its decision on the law suit against Dickmen which vindicated fully the Church of Cyprus and the Republic of Cyprus. “The Court ruling puts an end to a difficult and hard legal battle, which lasted six years, by ordering the return of our cultural heritage treasures,” the press release said. It added that the Court ruling is subject to appeal.


Eight hours after the polls closed, the national electoral board overseeing Sunday's congressional elections announced that Hugo Chavez's Socialist Party of Venezuela, or the PSUV, had held on to their majority in the Venezuelan Congress, called La Asamblea Nacional. Many races needed the extra time because they were too close to call, the head of the board said on national TV early Monday morning. Chavez's PSUV candidates won at at least 9o seats out of the 165 seats, while the anti-Chavez opposition coalition, MUD, won at least 60 congressional seats, which breaks the socialists super majority in the legislative body . Despite remaining in the minority, opposition leaders on Monday called it a significant political advancement that could open the door for future gains against Chavez and his party, including the 2012 Venezuelan presidential election. At a press conference immediately following the results, the opposition said that they had won the majority of the popular vote Sunday with 52%, but did not win the majority of seats because of obstacles implemented by the Chavez government before the election, including gerrymandered districts, and changing the law to disproportionately count rural votes over others. Chavez remains popular in rural areas of Venezuela, while the opposition's electoral strength mainly lies in the larger cities of the South American country. Opposition political parties boycotted the 2005 congressional election after they criticized what they described as unconstitutional interference by the Chavez government. In the 5 years since, the opposition watched helplessly as the Chavista congress dramatically changed national laws, appointed Supreme Court justices, and electoral board members with ease. 67 % of the nearly 18 million registered voters took part in Sunday's elections, according to the Venezuelan electoral board.


After months of denial, leaders of the pro-Israel organization J-Street have been compelled to admit their activities are partly funded by Jewish billionaire George Soros who, in his own words, refuses to be part of activities in support of Israel. The pro-peace organization was founded in 2008 as a counterweight to the rightward-leaning AIPAC (America Israel Public Affairs Committee) lobby. At the time, there were rumors that the group was supported by Soros, a Holocaust survivor originally from Hungary, but J-Street denied this stridently – and for good reason. Soros has been strongly critical of the US and Israel. In Jewish circles in America he is considered a controversial figure, especially since his interview with the New Yorker 15 years ago, in which he stated he did not want to be part of any activity in support of Israel, even if he did not deny Jews' right to have their own state. Keeping his connections with J-Street a secret worked in his interest, because J-Street has repeatedly declared itself to be pro-Israel and pro-peace. On its website the organization denies that Soros is its main funder, stating that Soros did not found J-Street and that he has publicly stated his wish to avoid being involved as such involvement may work against the organization. However, on Friday the Washington Times revealed that Soros and his children donated $245,000 when J-Street was founded, and later contributed a further half million dollars. This report plus others that appeared in its wake compelled J-Street's President Jeremy Ben-Ami to confirm that Soros was among those funding the organization. He also clarified that Soros does not stand behind J-Street. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency quoted Soros' spokesman who said Soros had never made a secret of his contributions to J-Street. Soros believes J-Street contributes significantly to the political debate about the Middle East in the US, the spokesman said, adding that Soros supports the organization financially but has no say in its policies and is not involved in its day-to-day management.


The Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Sunday that the country would sue Russia for the S- 300 missile deal if Russia fails to deliver the system to Iran, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. "The issue can be sued if Russia does not provide Iran with missile system and in such a case compensation should be paid to Iran," Chief of Iran's Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission told reporters. "We hope Russia abide by its commitments," Boroujerdi was quoted as saying. Russia has scrapped plans to deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran as they fall under the U.N. sanctions, Russian Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov said Wednesday. The S-300 is an advanced mobile missile system which can shoot down aircraft and cruise missiles from up to 150 km away. Iran inked a deal with Russia to purchase the S-300 weaponry systems in 2007, however Russia delayed the missiles' delivery. The United States and Israel have strongly opposed the sale of the missile to Iran.

VII. PRAVMIR - By This Sign Conquer

It is said that the Emperor Constantine, as he was preparing his troops for the battle that would make him the ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, had a vision of a Cross of brilliant light superimposed upon the sun; and he heard a voice say to him, “By this sign you will conquer.” He ordered his men to put the sign of the Cross on their shields; and he was, indeed, victorious in battle that day. The Emperor, a pagan at that time, later issued the Edict of Milan, which ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire; and he would also summon the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 to put to an end the dissension in the Church aroused by the heretical teachings of Arius. He became a Christian as his death drew near; and the Church recognizes him as St. Constantine the Great. When the Empress Helena, Constantine’s mother, went to Jerusalem to find the Cross of our Lord, it was discovered that the site of our Lord’s Crucifixion had been covered by a temple to the Goddess Diana. Excavating the site, three crosses were found. How would it be possible to determine the True Cross? The Patriarch Macarius was able to discern a way. As a funeral procession passed by, he directed that the person being taken to be buried be placed on each cross. With the first two, there was no effect; but, when the corpse was placed on the Cross of our Lord, life was immediately restored to that person. After that, a woman who was ill was placed on the Cross, and she was healed. In this way, the True Cross was revealed, and was venerated by all as the precious and holy life-giving Cross. We may not ever see a vision. We may never hear a voice tell us anything. But we must know this: By this sign, the sign of the Cross, we are able to conquer in every battle that we face. The sign of the Cross wounds the demons, and drives them far from us; and so, when we are tempted, we have as part of our defensive arsenal the sign of the Cross. When we are afraid, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering that we do not achieve anything by our own strength, but only by the strength of Him Who dwells in us. When we have sinned, we make the sign of the Cross, remembering Him Who died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and so we can be helped to repent and confess. By this, by confessing and repenting, and by using the power of the sign of the Cross in our own lives, we too conquer death; we, too, are raised from death to life by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross. Brothers and sisters: As we keep this solemn feast day, let us give thanks that our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us on the Cross; and let us give thanks that, in the sign of the Cross, we have a weapon to use against the demons, against our weakness, and against our sins, that we might have life, and have it in abundance.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Iran's 9/11 claims;US Visa tax;Greek diplomacy;UNMIK vs Kosovo;Russia,UN;TX Islam bias;Coptic bishop,Quran



President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has accused the US government of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks to prop up Israel. Speaking at the UN general assembly, just a few miles away from the still open wound of Ground Zero, he prompted a walkout of the US and UK delegations from the chamber. US diplomats dismissed his comments as "abhorrent and delusional". At a time when Iran is being squeezed by sanctions imposed through the UN, Ahmadinejad showed no desire to extend a placatory hand and instead opted to repeat several old conspiracy theories relating to the terrorist attacks on September 11 2001. One theory of what happened on that day, he said, was "the US government orchestrated the attack in order to save the Zionist regime in the Middle East". Addressing representatives of the UN's 192 member countries, the president said there was evidence that the US government had at least supported the attacks, including passports in the rubble of the Twin Towers of men who had been involved with US officials, while no trace of the alleged suicide attackers was retrieved. Ahmadinejad's 9/11 comments will hardly be seen as providing hope for a diplomatic way out of the impasse over Iran's nuclear programme. Earlier, US president Barack Obama had demanded that Iran meet its obligations in international conventions and "confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear programme". The Iranian leader said he remained "ready for a dialogue based on respect and justice" and for a "free debate with American statesmen". But he went on to warn that if the security council of the UN continued to use "intimidation and sanctions" it would destroy its own remaining credibility. The theory that 9/11 was the act of a US agent provocateur, or even of George Bush himself, has long been one of the most prevalent conspiracy theories relating to the attacks. Ahmadinejad compared the almost 3,000 people who died on 9/11 to the hundreds of thousands who had been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.


The US administration's $14 a head 'tax' for visa waivered travellers to America has met with universal disapproval from MEPs. More than 25 MEPs spoke in the afternoon debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, and not one of them was in favour of the travel fee. Standing in for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Belgian European affairs minister, Olivier Chastel, said the high representative was against the fee, but the best defence of it that he could offer was to say that both the US and the EU want easy transatlantic travel. It doesn’t look like it, countered every MEP. It's an "entry fee" and "one-sided", said Ernst Strasser. It's "discriminatory", added his EPP colleague Simon Busuttil. The entry fee doesn't apply to Poland, Romania, Bulgaria or Cyprus, states outside the visa waiver deal. "For us it is even worse", grumbled a Polish MEP. "To apply for a visa we pay $100 whether you get it or not." Since September 8 travellers from 23 EU member states have to register on an electronic system ESTA, giving personal details and paying the travel fee. Around 900,000 travellers will use it every month, estimated one MEP, paying $4 for administration and $10 to promote tourism to America. The US is imposing its law on EU citizens, complained the MEPS. It’s another unequal treaty, like SWIFT for financial payments and Open Skies for airline slots. There was no prior consultation and there is no trust, they argued. "The US doesn’t need the money. It wants the data," said GUE-NGL MEP Alfreds Rubiks. "It’s a new business model," added senior EPP deputy Elmar Brok ironically. "I will tell businesses in my constituency. You get your customers to pay for the advertising to attract them to your product." Questions came thick and fast in the many short speeches. What about data protection? Will fingerprinting be next? US citizens travel visa-free inside Schengen, so what about reciprocity? MEPs urged each other to use their contacts within the US Congress to stop the measure, due for confirmation in November. The US Administration has been "discourteous to its friends," said one deputy. Interinstitutional relations and administration commissioner Maroš Šefcovic said the Brussels would be considering a range of diplomatic and political reactions in advance of the general affairs council in October and the EU-US ministerial meeting in December. The US ambassador was in the diplomatic gallery and heard the whole debate. That evening he heard the same arguments again at a reception to which he had generously invited the MEPs to further transatlantic relations.


Continuing a public relations drive in the US aimed at drumming up investment interest and attracting much-needed funding, Prime Minister George Papandreou has also held a series of meetings with regional leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to thrash out longstanding foreign policy problems. Following talks late on Wednesday, Papandreou and Turkish President Abdullah Gul agreed that bilateral ties had improved in recent months following the establishment of a strategic council comprising ministers from both countries that is to convene annually. According to sources, the two men – both former foreign ministers – reported “satisfactory results” from the council’s first session. The leaders also discussed the latest United Nations-mediated drive to reunify Cyprus, which has foundered in recent months as Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias and hardline Turkish-Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have failed to find common ground. Papandreou reportedly asked Gul to help push forward the peace process. The issue is expected to be on the agenda of talks in October, when Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is to visit Athens. Papandreou also had talks with his Albanian counterpart Sali Berisha and agreed that bilateral relations remained good despite the murder last month of an ethnic Greek man in Himara, southern Albania, an attack that Berisha condemned. Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, who is in the US with Papandreou, expressed clear frustration at the failure of Nikola Gruevski, the prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), to visit New York. He and Papandreou had hoped to meet Gruevski for talks about an ongoing bilateral dispute regarding the Balkan country’s official name, particularly following Gruevski’s recent allegations regarding Greek “intransigence” in the negotiations. “If officials in Skopje invested all this time and energy on solving the problem at hand, rather than trying to score political points, we would be making a lot more progress,” Droutsas remarked.


UNMIK chief Lamberto Zannier on Wednesday (September 22nd) criticised a government report on northern Kosovo, saying it contains factual errors and a series of groundless statements. "I am sorry that the authors did not consult me or the UN officials in charge while preparing the report. If they had done so, they would have had the possibility of publishing an accurate report," Zannier said. The document, by the Office of the Co-ordinator for Implementation of the Strategy for Kosovo North, concluded that the UNMIK administration in Mitrovica is impeding the Serb-dominated area's integration into the rest of the country. It claimed UNMIK has allowed parallel structures to continue governing in the north. The head of the office, Ylber Hysa, dismissed Zannier's reaction and promised to provide new facts about what he described as UNMIK's damaging performance in northern Kosovo.


Russia plans to increase its support of UN peacekeeping activities around the world, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told the UN Security Council summit in New York. "We [Russia] intend to further increase our practical contribution to the UN's peacekeeping and peace-building activities," Sergei Lavrov said. Speaking about the settlement of conflicts, Lavrov, said present-day conflicts must not be resolved by force. "The solutions [for conflicts] must be searched for in the political and diplomatic dimensions by involving all parties in dialogue and negotiations and without isolating anyone. The events of August 2008 proved where a unilateral withdrawal from peacekeeping formats and a reliance on force leads to," he said. Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states two weeks after a five-day war with Georgia in August 2008, which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control. Lavrov also said there was a need for ample financial and intellectual investment to prevent conflicts as well as for the stronger UN potential in the sphere of preventive diplomacy and mediation. All peacekeeping operations, he continued, must not be obtrusive and interests and the priorities of the parties involved in a conflict must always be taken into account.


The TEA tells me this controversial issue was brought to the board by a citizen from Lubbock in July. That citizen asked members to look at the way various religions are represented in textbooks used in Texas. They did and now the country is waiting and watching. Textbooks that teach our children, do they have a pro-Islamic/ anti-Christian bias? Well, members of the Texas Education Board say some do. They plan to vote on a resolution condemning those books tomorrow. Part of the resolution reads like this: "WHEREAS pro-Islamic/anti-Christian bias has tainted some past Texas Social Studies textbooks... WHEREAS pro-Islamic/anti-Christian half-truths, selective disinformation, and false editorial stereotypes still roil some Social Studies textbooks nationwide." The resolution says some textbooks have devoted more lines of content to Islam than to Christianity. Parents we spoke with on the issue seemed uncertain. This is a non-binding resolution. So if it passes essentially the board is making a statement making their position on the issue clear. Eight board members need to vote in favor for it to pass.


Bishop Bishoy, secretary of the Coptic Church's Holy Synod, delayed delivering a scheduled speech at a conference held in Fayoum Wednesday evening in order to consult with his aides after hearing that the local press intended to publish a printed copy of his speech. Bishoy insisted that what was written in the printed copy of his speech had been "misunderstood." “My question as to whether some verses of the Quran were inserted after the death of the prophet is not a criticism or accusation,” he said. “It's merely a question about a certain verse that I believe contradicts the Christan faith.” He went on to point out that, in meetings with officials at the Egyptian embassy in Cyprus, he had asserted that dialogue between friends could serve to resolve longstanding disputes. “How could this be interpreted as attacking the Quran?” he asked. Sources at Al-Azhar, for their part, said that Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb would issue a “strong” statement on Saturday in response to Bishoy. The grand imam, said the sources, had been both "offended and astonished" by the bishop's statements, given that religious leaders should support calls for national unity rather than incite sectarian strife. The Muslim Brotherhood movement and a number of Islamic scholars have accused Bishoy of attempting to alter the meaning of certain verses of the Quran.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Turkish Chutzpah,EU bid;Greece,US investors;"Pledge to America";Iran criticizes Russia;Kovoso,UN agenda;"Drop the Filioque"


I. NATIONALINTEREST - The Inventors of Chutzpah

Chutzpah is a useful word, which is why it is now common coin in a variety of languges. I used to believe that it was of Yiddish origin. I am now not so sure. Indeed, I tend to think it might be Turkic in provenance. Certainly, if there is any justice in this world, it should be chalked up to the credit of a handful of brazen, chuckling sages in Istanbul. They win the laurels, hands down, no contest. In January 2009, at Davos, Switzerland, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told fellow panelist Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres: "When it comes to killing, you know well how to kill,” before rushing off the stage in (pretend) anger. He was protesting against what he saw as Israel's unacceptable behavior in that month's brief war with the Hamas in Gaza. A year later, in May 2010, Erdogan charged Israel with violating "international law" and implementing "inhumane state terrorism" over its raid on the Turkish ship "Mavi Marmara," which was trying to run Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. (The Hamas seeks Israel's destruction and Israel refuses to allow free passage of arms to the Hamas-controlled strip.) Nine Turks, who attacked the raiders with guns, iron bars and knives, were killed by the Israeli commandos. Now let's look for a second at Turkish behavior. The Turks no longer dispute the fact that they deported and murdered hundreds of thousands of Armenians (and Greeks) during World War I (they continue to dispute the number "1.5 million" Armenian dead and that the killings were a result of a systematic policy of "genocide,” orchestrated by Istanbul), forcibly converted many thousands of Christians to Islam, and kidnapped, raped and virtually enslaved many thousands of Armenian (and Greek) girls. But this was (mainly) during Ottoman times. Old history, you may say. Let us look at some facts of more recent vintage. The European Commission of Human Rights in its report of 10 July 1976 concluded, after a lengthy investigation, that the Turkish troops invading northern Cyprus in 1974 killed Cypriot Greek civilians en masse. Turkish "troops were responsible for wholesale and repeated rapes of women of all ages from 12 to 71." After the fighting, according to the report, "the aim [of Turkish behavior] was to terrorise, destroy and eradicate the Greek population of the Turkish occupied area"; "the atrocities were deliberate tactics"—and resulted in the flight of hundreds of thousands of Greeks southwards. In the 1980s and 1990s, according to Wikipedia, Turkish security forces levelled "3,000" Kurdish villages in Turkey—3,000!—leading to the displacement of close to 400,000 Kurds. Thousands of Kurdish villagers were killed and tortured as Turkish troops tried to suppress Kurdish demands for a measure of autonomy. And Erdogan pretends fury when nine aggressive Turkish militants, set on provoking Israel, are shot dead by Israeli troops in self-defence. I challenge anyone to match, let alone surpass, this display of chutzpah, and hypocrisy. I wonder whether the Turks actually use the word "chutzpah.” Or do they have an equivalent word? Or don't they—and if not, why not?


Allowing Turkey to join the European Union would make the bloc more relevant, but Germany and France feel threatened by the Muslim-majority nation's bid, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said on Wednesday. Babacan, who is also Turkey's economy minister, told the Foreign Policy Association's World Leadership Forum in New York that it was difficult to say whether Turkey would achieve its goal of EU membership. Turkey's application to join the 27-nation EU has for years met with European resistance because of Turkey's human rights record and frictions with Cyprus, an EU member that Turkey does not recognise. "The relevance of the EU ... is decreasing very fast and especially after this economic and financial crisis," Babacan said. "The weight of the European economy in the world has shrunk and will continue to shrink and only with enlargement the EU will be able to protect its power and influence." Turkey would be the only Muslim-majority country in the EU and one of its largest by population. European officials have long held that Turkey must improve its human rights record to join the EU. But European Union Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also said on Tuesday that Turkey's ambitions to join the bloc were being thwarted because of a hardening of attitudes in Europe against immigration in a number of EU countries. "When Turkey becomes a member of the EU, Turkey is not going to be in a secondary position and that's one of the reasons why countries like Germany and France are quite nervous about our membership," Babacan said. "From day one were going to be influential as Germany and France. It's not going to be a Germany and France axis EU, it's going to be a Germany, France and Turkey axis EU and we're not sure if they are ready to share that power with us," he said.


Prime Minister George Papandreou yesterday continued his charm offensive in the United States, assuring entrepreneurs in New York that Greece is pushing through reforms to facilitate investments after receiving praise from US Vice President Joe Biden in Washington for the measures his government has pushed through so far. “The Greek government has proved that it means business. We have delivered on our commitments, exceeded targets and even confounded expectations,” Papandreou told an audience at the Economic Club of New York, a respected forum for entrepreneurs and economists. “In a matter of months we have pushed through the most extensive and ambitious reform program in modern Greek history,” he said before providing details of how procedures are being simplified for investments and the creation of businesses. The premier said there were “many encouraging signs that investors are waking up to the opportunities that the new Greece has to offer,” noting that Norway’s state pension fund had recently invested in Greek government bonds. Late on Tuesday, Papandreou had visited Washington for talks at the White House with Biden, which focused on Greece’s ongoing reform efforts as well as matters of concern in the Balkans and Middle East. The US vice president praised Papandreou for the “excellent work he is doing in the handling of the economic crisis,” noting that, “God willing, he will put his country on the right path again.” The Greek premier responded, “We are already on the right path.” Speaking to reporters after meeting Biden, Papandreou said their talks touched on the Cyprus problem, the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) regarding the latter’s official name. According to sources, the US vice president stressed the need for the governments of Athens and Skopje to quickly agree upon a mutually acceptable solution to the name spat. Papandreou, for his part, stressed that Athens has the political will to resolve the dispute and is waiting for the “other side” to reciprocate.


Republicans on the campaign trail to retake Congress have a new roadmap. The GOP will unveil its plan to fix the country Thursday, in a document titled "Pledge to America." The 21-page manifesto gathers familiar talking points for Republicans, such as cutting taxes and slashing government spending. The pledge also calls for an end to President Obama's health care and economic stimulus plans. "Regarding the policis of the current government, the governed do not consent," the pledge states. "An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many." The plan comes as voters increasingly grow dissatisfied with Congress and the Democrats' handling of the economy. A recent AP/GfK poll shows that in addition to angry Republican voters, 58% of independents are upset with the current state of politics and eight in 10 describe the economy as poor.


The Iranian defense minister criticized Russia Thursday for banning all sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi's comments came a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree on the ban, which also prohibited exports of tanks, aircraft and sea vessels to Iran. Vahidi said Russia was at risk of humiliating itself for caving to international pressure by banning the sales of the sophisticated systems that could boost Iran's ability to defend itself against airstrikes. "We think Russia should show it has an independent stance in choosing its relations with other countries as well as on international issues," he said in an interview with Iranian state TV. Tehran is in a tense standoff with the U.S. and other nations over its disputed nuclear program. Russia also has recently shown increasing frustration over Iran's policies. Moscow signed a 2007 contract to sell the systems. Israel and the United States have objected to the deal, and no such missiles have been delivered yet. Russia has said United Nations sanctions would prevent it from delivering the S-300s to Iran. The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft and missiles at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters). Vahidi insisted the Russians were obliged to implement the 2007 contract. "They have not done it so far," he said. He also played down the importance of the deal, saying it was "not vital" because Iran will build a similar system in the future. "God willing we will have production of long range anti-aircraft missiles on our agenda." In June, Russia joined other members of the U.N Security Council in imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran after Tehran refused to halt its uranium enrichment activities. The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes like power generation.


United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. They discussed the situation in the Middle East and other international crises and hot spots, including Kosovo-Metohija, the UN website said on Wednesday. “UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has met with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other international crises and hot spots, including Afghanistan, Sudan, Kosovo and Kyrgyzstan,” the statement read. The two men also conferred on the situation in Kosovo as well as the wider Balkan region, it was said. Russia is one of the permanent member states of the UN Security Council, and is among the countries that have not recognized the unilaterally declared independence. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou also discussed Kosovo, in Washington on Wednesday. Greece is another country that has not recognized Kosovo. Biden and Papandreou discussed the recent opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding legality of unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, the White House announced. The two leaders also talked about “how to move forward so that the people of Serbia and Kosovo are able to become fully a part of a Europe, whole and free and at peace,” said the statement. Biden welcomed the Greek PM’s efforts to advance the integration of the countries of Southeast Europe into Euro-Atlantic structures, and he emphasized the need for leaders in Athens and Skopje to quickly come to an agreement to resolve their differences over the former Yugoslav republic’s name, according to reports.


Amidst the thousands who protested the Pope’s visit to Britain, one protester stood out. Fr John Zuhlsdorf over on What does the Prayer Really Say? found a picture of a young man who was protesting the Pope in a very particular way. Benedict XVI would probably have enjoyed the sight. Armed with a black marker and a pizza box, Toby Guise, a 29 year-old communications consultant from London, wrote: “Drop the Filioque!” The Filioque is a clause added to the Nicene Creed by the Western Church and addresses the way the Trinity is understood. It has been a source of division between the Eastern Churches and the Western Church. Mr Guise said: “There was a serious point behind the banner. Putting the Filioque up for discussion would effectively roll things back to the last Ecumenical Council in 787 – sending out a tacit but momentous appeal for Christian unity, yet without necessarily sacrificing a point upon which many Catholics are very impassioned. The hope would be for other denominations to respond by looking at ways in which they could re-enter into communion with the Catholic Church and with each other, including on thornier issues than the Filioque.” He also added: “I didn’t actually point the banner at the Pope, thinking it was more important to welcome him unconditionally and that he had probably had enough disagreements for one weekend.”

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Catholic,Orthodox dialogue;Cyprus talks;Belgrade-Priština;Papandreou-Biden;Iran warning,Russian weapons,NATO



A joint international commission on dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, which began in Vienna on Tuesday, will discuss the Pope's primacy in the first millennium. "This is the most complicated subject in the dialogue between the Orthodox and the Catholics, because the attitude toward the bishop of Rome's ministering is key for the modern Catholic Church," Hegumen Philipp (Ryabykh) representing the Russian Orthodox Church at the session told Interfax. The presumption that the Pope has ecumenical jurisdiction goes against Orthodox ecclesiology, which teaches that, while the Orthodox Church preserves unity of faith and church governance, it still consists of several local churches, Father Philipp said, who is a deputy head of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. The Vienna session continues the discussion that was started in Cyprus in 2009. "A draft document was drawn up for the commission's session last year, and the commission started to consider it but did not finish this process, as the Orthodox had a lot of objections to this text. We expect that the discussion in Vienna on the text of this document will also be quite intensive," he said. "Our delegation's goal is to make sure that this document reflects the Orthodox position and rules out any ambiguities, compromises and wrong interpretations of the patristic views on the bishop of Rome's ministering," the priest said. While it is difficult to reach a consensus on this issue, "this theme should be discussed," because "this is what separates the Catholics and the Orthodox above all," he said. "It needs to be said that the Catholics did not agree to discuss this issue with the Orthodox [Church] for a long time, knowing how radical differences in its interpretation are. The fact that the late Pope John Paul II and then Pope Benedict XVI agreed that this issue be discussed by the commission is quite a benevolent step on the part of the Catholics toward the Orthodox [Church]," he said.


President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias stated on Monday that things do not fare better than last year as far as progress in the Cyprus problem is concerned. On Monday, President Christofias hosted a luncheon for the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to brief them about the latest developments in the UN led negotiations for a Cyprus settlement, a process which began in September 2008 between President Christofias and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community. President Chrisofias told the ambassadors that Turkey's positions and those presented by Dervis Eroglu (Turkish Cypriot leader) at the talks and their refusal to accept his constructive proposal do not leave much room for optimism about the prospect of a solution by the end of the year. The proposals provide for linking the property issue with the territorial issue, the opening of the Turkish occupied Famagusta port in exchange for opening more EU accession chapters for Turkey and the convening of an international conference once agreement on the internal aspects of the Cyprus question is in sight. The president said that he reiterated his position on the subject of an international conference on the Cyprus problem that more progress needs to be achieved on the internal aspects of the problem before convening such a meeting, adding that the ambassadors showed understanding on that point and stressed the need to maintain the Cypriot ownership of the talks whilst at the same time accepting the position that no solution should be imposed by outsiders. "Certain people may have a different opinion as far as Turkey's readiness to see a solution emerge by the end of the year", he pointed out, adding that he has made it clear that Turkey's own actions do not follow up on its rhetoric, which serves only communication purposes and aims to avoid taking real responsibility for its role in the Cyprus problem. The president also informed them of his wish to have the opportunity to talk face to face with the Turkish leaders, adding that this is not an alternative to the ongoing talks. Talks will continue under the aegis of the UN S.G., he said, noting however that he would like to meet with Turkey's leaders so that he can communicate to them his vision for the solution of the Cyprus problem, which also concerns Turkey and affects its interests. There is no reason for anyone to object to this request, he said, stressing that a refusal would be unacceptable considering that the Republic of Cyprus is a member of the UN since its establishment, is also a full member of the EU, adding at the same time that a non permanent member of the UN Security Council does not have the right to ignore the Republic of Cyprus. On Monday President Christofias also met with Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, Illinois State Minister of Finance and US Senate candidate Alexis Giannoulias, and attended a reception hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.


Kosovo Ministry official Oliver Ivanović says the EU has received a mandate from the UN secretary-general to work on the Belgrade-Priština dialogue. This happened "given that this issue is of Europe's interest", said Ivanović. "The stability of Europe and this part of the Balkans mostly depends on whether the dialogue will be launched," Ivanović told state broadcaster RTS in Belgrade on Wednesday. He added that such a dialogue was needed, and that it was most important to determine the form in which it will be realized. "What is important for Serbia is UN Security Council Resolution 1244 since it provides a neutral political framework and does not prejudge the final solution, and as such leaves much more space than if the issue were under the sole mandate of the EU," said he. Ivanović said that the topic of the talks should not be controversial and thus make the two parties confront in the very start, adding that it is irrefutable that different stands will be taken regarding the key issues. He believes that it should not be a problem to set the issue of the missing and kidnapped as the first topic, given that this is a humanitarian issue which seems to be important for both parties.


Prime Minister George Papandreou met with US Vice Presidsent Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. In welcoming the Greek prime minister, Biden praised Papandreou for the "excellent work he is doing in the handling of the economic crisis and, God willing, he will put his country on the right path again." Speaking to reporters afterwards, the Greek prime minister said his talks with Biden covered a wide range of issues, such as the global economic crisis, the Middle East issue, the Cyprus problem as well as the fYRoM "name issue". Papandreou added that he briefed the US vice president on Greece's initiatives regarding the wider region's problems and highlighted Athens' volition and positive contribution in resolving these problems.


The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned that if the US starts a war against Iran it will – in his words – have “no limits”. He was speaking to American media representatives before his appearance at the UN Development Goals summit in New York. The Iranian leader chided the US, saying it had never known nor won a serious war. He also reportedly warned Washington not to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs. On the dispute over the country’s nuclear programme, Ahmadinejad said that Iran was ready for negotiations. The US has accused Iran of using its nuclear energy programme as a cover for seeking to develop nuclear weapons, something Tehran repeatedly denies. The UN has put sanctions on the country. Iran has also taken delivery of a new series of Fateh medium-range missiles, part of the Republic’s general plan to bolster its military might. The domestically-produced missiles are said to have a quicker launch time and longer range than previous models.


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a decree Wednesday banning all sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran. Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the sophisticated systems that could boost Iran's ability to defend against air strikes. Israel and the United States have objected to the deal, and no such missiles have been delivered yet. Medvedev's decree also prohibited exports of tanks, aircraft and sea vessels to Iran. Russia has recently has shown increasing frustration with Iran's policies. It has said United Nations sanctions would prevent it from delivering the S-300s to Iran. The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft and missiles at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters). In Washington, the White House issued a statement welcoming the executive order signed by Medvedev. "We believe President Medvedev has demonstrated leadership on holding Iran accountable to its international obligations from start to finish," said Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security Council.


U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged NATO and Russia on Wednesday to expand cooperation in areas such as missile defense, military doctrines, narcotics control, and conventional arms limits in Europe. But Clinton rejected a Russian initiative for a new security architecture in Europe proposed by President Dmitry Medvedev last year. "We believe that the best way to achieve this is by reinforcing the pillars that have supported European security for decades, not by negotiating new treaties, as Russia has suggested," she said. Clinton was addressing a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, a panel formed in 2004 to improve ties between the former Cold War rivals. Foreign ministers of all 28 NATO nations attended the meeting, along with their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Relations between NATO and Moscow hit a post-Cold War low after the Russo-Georgian war two years ago. But they have improved significantly since President Barack Obama announced a "reset" of U.S.-Russia ties. The meeting on Wednesday was intended to prepare the groundwork for a NATO-Russia summit on Nov. 20 in Lisbon, Portugal. "This summit offers an opportunity for us to take a fresh look at the security challenges that all our countries face, reflect on what our cooperation has already achieved, and begin to chart a common course of action for the next decade," Clinton said. She said the focus should be on addressing specific issues such as resuming missile defense exercises and linking NATO's and Russia's early warning radar systems, agreeing on a joint counter-narcotics strategy, updating the European conventional arms treaty, and enhancing military transparency between the alliance and Moscow. NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described Wednesday's meeting as "very positive and a reflection of the substantive progress we have made in our relationship in the last 12-14 months." He said a joint review of 21st Century threats would focus on Afghanistan, cooperation in combatting terrorism and maritime piracy, and on an anti-missile system that would protect North America, Europe and Russia. "The future of Russia lies in cooperation with the European Union and NATO," Fogh Rasmussen said. "It makes sense from an economic point of view and from a security point of view."

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