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Monday, March 15, 2010

Michael's List- EU-Turkey-Cyprus-Armenia; US-FYROM; US-Israeli ties; Georgian invasion hoax; UN Res 1244; UN-Haiti relief; 4-5th Sundays of Lent



EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule urged Turkey Monday to open its ports to Cyprus under a trade pact with the bloc and to press on with peace efforts with Armenia. "I had the opportunity to underline the importance the European Union attaches to the need for Turkey to fully implement the additional protocol... and normalise its relations with Cyprus," Fule told reporters after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey has refused to implement the protocol to open its air and sea ports to EU-member Cyprus until the Union moves on its pledge to ease the international isolation of the island's breakaway Turkish-held north. Ankara also refuses to acknowledge the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government until the island's division is resolved. Turkey's stance prompted the EU in 2006 to freeze eight of the 35 chapters which candidate countries must successfully negotiate prior to membership. Fule underlined that the problem would ease if peace talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since September 2008 led to a solution. "We agree that a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus would be a historic breakthrough to the benefit of both Turkey and the EU," he said. Davutoglu insisted his country's membership talks should not be overshadowed by "political problems that have no direct link to the EU process, such as Cyprus".Fule also voiced support to reconciliation efforts between Turkey and Armenia to overcome a century of hostility over allegations of an Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turks during World War I. The two neighbours signed a historic deal in October to establish diplomatic ties and open their border, but the process has stalled amid mutual accusations of trying to modify the deal.


The United States has proposed a solution to the name dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has been in Washington since Tuesday discussing his country's battle with a record deficit and other regional issues. Part of the talks involved a U.S. proposal for the breakaway country to rename itself Northern Macedonia, Kathimerini reported Thursday. Since declaring independence in 1991, Greece has challenged the country's name, saying Greece historically owns the name for a northern province. Sources told the newspaper if leaders in both Athens and Skopje will agree, the U.S. would officially recognize the new name and encourage the United Nations to follow suit. U.N. mediator Matthew Nimetz visited both capitals late last month and while he made no mention of the proposal, is said in diplomatic circles to favor the new name, the report said.


Israel announced the construction of 1,600 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem during US Vice President’s visit, provoking a bilateral spat that continues to escalate. Last week, Vice President Joe Biden was in Israel, trumping the “unbreakable bond” between Israel and the United States. Israel’s Interior Ministry responded by announcing 1,600 new housing units for Jews in East Jerusalem. Is this any way to treat a global superpower, not to mention your crucial ally? A very perturbed Mr. Biden condemned the move as “precisely the kind of step that undermines the trust we need right now,” adding that "sometimes only a friend can deliver the hardest truth." But the rhetoric between the two sides did not stop there. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday joined in the chorus of condemnation, criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his government's surprise announcement, which gave "a deeply negative signal" for the Mid-East peace process, as well as Israel-US relations. "The announcement of the settlements on the very day that the vice president was there was insulting," Clinton said in an interview with CNN Friday. "It was just really a very unfortunate and difficult moment for everyone, the US, our vice president who had gone to re-assert America's strong support for Israeli security, and I regret deeply that that occurred and made that view known." The diplomatic fracas between Jerusalem and Washington comes at a very sensitive moment. Next week, Moscow will host the Quartet of Mid-East peacemakers, comprised of the US, the European Union, United Nations and Russia, for talks on how to move the peace process along. Hillary Clinton, incidentally, will be in attendance at the summit. Finally, Israel's ambassador to the US has said that relations between the two countries face their worst crisis for 35 years, Israeli media reported on Monday. Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, told a conference call with Israeli consuls general in the US that "the crisis was very serious and we are facing a very difficult period in relations", Israeli media reported on Monday. On Friday, Ambassador Oren was summoned to the US State Department and was reprimanded about the announcement, the Israeli Ynet News website reported. Ynet quoted the ambassador as saying “Israel's ties with the US are in the most serious crisis since 1975.” On Sunday, David Axelrod, a top aide to US President Barack Obama, said Israel's announcement of plans to build 1,600 homes for Jews in East Jerusalem was "destructive" to peace efforts. Axelrod said the move, which overshadowed the Vice President’s trip to Israel, was also an “insult” to the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working hard to play down the diplomatic row between the two allies, saying that he was unaware that the announcement would be made during Biden’s visit. However, in a speech Monday to Israel’s parliament, the Israeli leader argued that Jewish construction in east Jerusalem does not hurt the city's Palestinian residents. Netanyahu said the construction of homes for Jews in the city's eastern sector “in no way” hurts Palestinians, while giving no indication he would cancel the project or limit construction in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians are threatening to boycott newly agreed, indirect talks unless the Ramat Shlomo project is cancelled.


Russia has condemned as "irresponsible and immoral" a Georgian TV hoax about a Russian invasion. Panic was sparked in Georgia after the Imedi TV station broadcast news that Russian tanks had invaded the capital and the country's president was dead. The broadcast rekindled memories of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. Russia's foreign ministry said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili approved of the hoax. The ministry accused Tbilisi of "political paranoia". Georgia's mobile phone networks were overwhelmed with calls on Saturday, and many people rushed onto the streets. Pro-government Imedi TV said the aim had been to show how events might unfold if the president were killed. It later apologised. Video photo can be viewed here.


President Boris Tadić says Serbia will take part in all regional forums where Kosovo's presence is treated in line with the UN Resolution 1244. This also applies to the regional forum in Kranj, he told reporters in Novi Sad on Sunday, referring to the conference planned for later this month in Slovenia. "Those principles are more than clear, and not subject to change. Serbia will not participate in any regional forum that has no respect for UN principles, which includes respect of Resolution 1244," Tadić said after meeting with Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom. Serbia wants Albanian representatives and all Kosovo institutions to participate in regional forums, and it has no strategic aim to block cooperation and communication, but wants Kosovo's regional participation to be executed in a way that does not question Serbia's integrity. "A regional forum cannot represent an implicit recognition of Kosovo's independence, because Serbia will neither implicitly nor explicitly recognize Kosovo's independence, either by its decisions or with its participation in regional forums and meetings," Tadić said. He added that, if those principles are respected in Slovenia, Serbia will take part in the regional forum, which was also discussed at the recent meeting with Croatian and Slovenian officials.


U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has promised Haitians he is focused on maintaining donor solidarity as the quake-torn nation struggles to rebuild, the organization said. The effort will include an international donors' conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on March 31, Ban said, according to a Sunday news release. Providing shelter to displaced people, sanitation and reconstruction remain top priorities, Ban said during his second visit to the country since a massive earthquake struck January 12. "We have provided at least 700,000 people with tents, tarpaulins and plastic sheeting," he said. "This however is not enough, as it covers just 60 percent of the 1.3 million displaced persons." The nation also needs funds for schools, infrastructure, roads and power, among other things, he said. "For the foreseeable future, the government will need international assistance simply to cover its payroll -- teachers, police, doctors and nurses, civil servants and basic services," Ban said. More than 200,000 people died in the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, and large portions of the capital city were destroyed. The U.N. chief lauded international efforts to provide support. He assured Haitian President René Préval's administration that he will also work to fulfill the needs of underfunded programs such as early recovery and agriculture. But maintaining solidarity after the donors' conference and beyond is a challenge, he said, and so is the situation on the ground. "We will continue to expedite this process before the rainy season and the hurricane season arrive," he said. "We are a little behind schedule, but any fully effective coordination to provide humanitarian assistance to such a large number of displaced persons has always been a great challenge."


As we continue on our Lenten journey, I would like to share a few thoughts and reflections on this holiest period of the liturgical year, as well as Holy and Great Week. During the remaining period of Great Lent, there are two particular Sundays on which I would like to focus. The first of these Sundays, which is the fourth Sunday of the Fast, is dedicated to the memory of St. John Climacus, or St. John of the Ladder. St. John is commemorated during Lent because of his great spiritual work called The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Although this work was written specifically for the monastic world, the author being a monk himself, St. John’s “Ladder” is a classic work of Orthodox spiritually that speaks to all members of the Church, in all places and in all times. His book presents us with a spiritual ladder ascending to heaven, with each rung representing a particular vice or passion to be conquered in order to proceed upward. The approach is very straightforward and logical, being that going that next step in our spiritual growth necessitates overcoming the sinful obstacles, which have kept us in the state where we presently find ourselves. An important part of understanding our spiritual lives as an ascent, is the possibility of falling down a few rungs, or even completely off the ladder, which is the reality that we constantly face. In fact, the classic icon of St. John and his ladder clearly depicts the successful ascent of those truly holy and spiritually advanced monks, versus those who have succumb to various passions, causing them to fall into the pit of hell. The following Sunday, the fifth Sunday of the Fast, we commemorate our Venerable Mother, Mary the Egyptian. This former prostitute who sought tearful reconciliation with Christ and became a desert wanderer in order to live out her repentance, is the example par excellence, of the repentant sinner. Her story is quite moving, and very motivating to anyone who is unrepentant and continues to carry the burden of sin. The Church, in Her Spirit-filled great wisdom, places the memory of St. Mary of Egypt on the last Sunday of Great Lent, as a spiritual “wake-up” call to us to finish the race and accomplish the goal of sincere repentance. If we have truly made some serious efforts during Great Lent, then we hopefully have reached the point of repentance which will lead us to the holy mystery of confession, prior to the celebration of the Lord’s passion and resurrection. We must remember that repentance and confession are key components of the spiritual life, because without them there is no true spiritual life, but only a meager attempt, at best. So thus, Great Lent comes to a close during the week after the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt. Specifically, Lent ends on the following Friday at the reading of the 9th hour, immediately preceding the vespers of St. Lazarus, included in the service of the Presanctified Gifts. Many of our faithful do not realize that the forty day fast ends on this particular Friday, and that Holy Week is separate from Great Lent, standing on its own as a solemn week of strict fasting in commemoration of the last days of our Lord on earth. This is important to know, because the focus of Great Lent and Holy Week are different. Great Lent is a time for deep, personal reflection. The entire spirit of the forty day fast, is that of an intense spiritual journey that brings us back to God through our spiritual efforts, in order to be properly prepared for Holy Pascha, the greatest of all feasts. In contrast, Holy and Great Week is totally focused on the Lord and His passion and burial, hence the strict fast. In Holy Week, we follow the Lord during His last days, and hear his final teachings and warnings about the Kingdom of Heaven and His second glorious coming to earth for the final judgment. As we all know and have experienced each year, the darkness of Holy Week gradually gives way to the brightness and joy of the Resurrection. This is most profoundly exemplified in the Orthros of Holy Saturday, popularly known as the Epitaphios Lamentation, celebrated on Holy Friday evening. Beloved in Christ, our Orthodox Church is at its absolute best, so to speak, during Great Lent and especially Holy Week. This is not to say that there is anything inferior about the remainder of the liturgical year, which in reality, is actually a reflection of Holy Pascha, which gives light and life to everything we do in the Church. It is precisely because of the magnitude of the feast of Pascha, that such liturgical beauty experienced through hymnography and ritual is presented to the faithful for their spiritual edification. May we all take advantage of what remains of Great Lent, and thus, be prepared to enter Holy and Great Week with eager anticipation and love for the Bridegroom Christ. This should be the highlight of the year for each and every Orthodox Christian who truly loves the Church.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Michael's List- AHEPA, Greece, VWP; Turkish Cypriots; Sweden, Armenian Genocide; W. Balkans, EU; NATO, Nukes, Weapons, Russia; Uganda, Orthodox Church



A tremendous moment in U.S.-Greece relations was achieved when the United States designated Greece a Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nation on March 9, 2010. AHEPA Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas immediately hailed this announcement as one that will strengthen the long-standing strategic partnership between the two NATO allies. Greece's VWP designation means trade and commerce between the countries will flourish and tourism to the United States will increase. The strict security standards Greece had to meet, including passenger information sharing and screening will help to protect our citizens. Finally, Greece's inclusion in the VWP is a tremendous source of pride for the Greek American community, making it easier for relatives to visit, especially at a moment's notice. Since the fall of 2006, AHEPA worked diligently on the VWP issue by creating awareness of it to key audiences in Washington and by seeking clarification of how the VWP admission process actually worked. Not only did the merits of Greece's candidacy need to be promoted, but also the benefits of expanding the VWP as a whole. This included: Holding AHEPA's first of many face-to-face meetings with the Department of Homeland Security in September 2006. Working with our champions in Congress, comprising mostly of Hellenic Caucus members, to position Greece to the Bush Administration as a leading candidate for inclusion. This included the introduction of legislation designating Greece a VWP nation by Hellenic Caucus Co-Chair U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), which was supported by fellow Caucus Co-Chair U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL); and members of Congress sending letters of support to administration officials. Also there were successful congressional efforts in September 2007 to ensure that funds appropriated to expand the VWP were not eliminated from the federal budget. Hosting a public policy forum in January 2007 on Capitol Hill with leading administration, congressional, European Union, and think-tank policy experts to raise the visibility of the importance of expanding the Visa Waiver Program for all countries who qualify. Outreaching to build coalitions with major travel industry trade associations that supported expansion of the VWP. Also in 2007, policymakers in Washington became more comfortable with the notion of expanding the VWP when Congress passed S.4, Improving America's Security Act of 2007 in August. The bill included a provision in Title V, Section 501 authored by Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), an Ahepan, which enhanced and strengthened the security measures of the VWP. As a result of all these measures, Greece became the only nation to be formally nominated by the Department of State in September 2007. The nomination allowed the Department of Homeland Security to begin the evaluation process. AHEPA is proud of the role it played to see Greece become a U.S. VWP nation. The organization, through its leadership, members, and staff, worked diligently, even through transition periods, in a team effort with Congress, federal agencies, media outlets, and other Greek American and trade organizations, to: create awareness and raise visibility of the merits of Greece's candidacy, correct an unjust position taken by the Executive Branch, and cooperate with other organizations to ensure the Visa Waiver Program-as a whole-became a more secure program that ultimately benefits the United States, its economy, and its relationships with its allies. AHEPA commends the Greek government which worked hard to meet the United States' strict security criteria over the past four years. Likewise to be commended are Homeland Security, the State Department, and Congress. They all kept on top of the issue and remained engaged even when there were lulls in the process. Greek American media outlets kept the issue front-and-center of the community. Congratulations to the entire AHEPA staff for their support and hard work on this issue. Special note of thanks go to previous Director of Communications Michael Zachariades, and Government Relations Consultant Andrew Kaffes, who were all personally saluted by Supreme President Karacostas for their efforts over the years.


Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy has frequently made reference of the necessity to “lift the isolation of Turkish Cypriots”. Considering the high level negotiations underway for Cyprus’ reunification, the notion of “Turkish Cypriot isolation” must be clarified. The essential point being that the onus is on Turkey, not Cyprus, to lift so-called Turkish Cypriot “isolation”. Only by ending her illegal military occupation and persisting secessionist actions can Turkish Cypriots fully enjoy all rights afforded by the European Union. To redress the nature of the conflict, the 36-year division of Cyprus is not bi-communal in nature but the product of Turkish geostrategic policies and military expansionism. Prior to the Turkish invasion, Cypriots lived intermingled throughout the island. Referring to UN Mediator Galo Plaza’s March 1965 report, “The more general pattern in any given area is a mixture of Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot and mixed villages.” The fact remains that the Republic of Cyprus has taken great measures for Turkish Cypriots not only post-EU accession (and despite the suspension of the EU acquis communautaire in the occupied areas) but far earlier in the years ensuing the 1974 invasion. For instance, following the invasion, the Republic of Cyprus provided the occupied area with free electricity, water and gas at a cost of over USD 343 mln from 1974-1996. This, despite the fact that the illegal occupation, which usurped 37% of the most fertile land of the Republic accounted for multi-billion Cyprus pound losses to the economy. The underdevelopment of the economy in the occupied part is significantly attributed to the policies of the Turkish military occupation which actively discourage trade through the Green Line whilst advocating “direct” trade in efforts to promote recognition of the illegal regime, preferring instead to accuse the Republic of Cyprus of Turkish Cypriot "isolation". To address the question of isolation post-EU accession, the Republic of Cyprus has in fact ensured the entitlement of Turkish Cypriots to passports, birth certificates and ID cards enabling them to enjoy benefits of EU membership. Turkish Cypriots can therefore move, work, study and settle freely within the Union and enjoy consular and diplomatic protection. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots are also employed within the government controlled area and receive free medical care and social benefits at a cost of over EUR 6.9 mln and 32.3 mln, respectively since April 2003. Following the partial lifting of restrictions across the UN ceasefire line in April 2003, Turkish Cypriots have enjoyed substantial economic benefits (USD 57million from April 2003-2005) accrued from Greek Cypriot visits and tourist expenditure on goods and services. Most importantly, on February 27, 2006 the Republic of Cyprus backed an EU aid program of EUR 259 mln for Turkish Cypriots, of which 99% has already been contracted with programs for integration and social and economic development. The government has also demined the buffer zone and made proposals to open eight additional crossing points. The Republic of Cyprus has taken progressive measures to promote the 26th April 2004 European Council Conclusions which seek to integrate Turkish Cypriots and create a positive climate for a viable and long lasting solution. One which, contrary to previous plans, does not, among other things, include the provision for military intervention, which constituted an absurd mockery of an EU state. The government is working hard for the reunification of the island. However, Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership have not presented any workable proposals towards settlement. In January they submitted a package of ten proposals which clearly lead to a confederation based on two separate founding states. This is no basis for “reunification”. The proposals are way off what has been agreed as the basis for negotiations – that of working towards a bi-zonal bi-communal federation for one single state, with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and one international identity. Considering these measures, adopted by the government for the integration of Turkish Cypriots, it is essential to debunk the notion of Turkish Cypriot “isolation” as one imposed by the government of Cyprus. This serves only to encourage Turkish intransigence in negotiations, and we all know it takes two to tango.


Ankara has recalled its Ambassador to Stockholm and canceled the planned visit of Prime Minister Erdogan, after the Swedish parliament adopted a resolution recognizing the genocide of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire. The controversial document was sponsored by the opposition in the Swedish parliament and was opposed by the government. The resolution was adopted by a small margin, with 131 MPs in favor, 130 against and 88 more abstaining. After the vote, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he regretted the decision. Meanwhile, Turkish officials did not take much time to react harshly to the news. Ankara has cancelled the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sweden, which was planned for March 17, and recalled the Turkish ambassador. The development mirrors the events of last week, when the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives adopted a similar document. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on legislators not to support the draft resolution when it is debated in the Congress, while Turkey also recalled its ambassador to the US. The oppression of Armenian residents in Ottoman Empire in 1910s has an estimated death toll of up to 1.5 million people, who allegedly died through neglect and violence. Many governments and organizations, including 42 individual states in the USA, the European Parliament, Russia, France, Germany and the Vatican, among others, consider the events as genocide. Turks have always rejected the accusations and opposed moves for their international recognition.


The future of West Balkans lies in the EU underlined foreign ministers of Serbia and Albania, Vuk Jeremic and Ilir Meta respectively, after their meeting in Belgrade. Our reporter Dusicka Maticki has more on this topic. Jeremic told the press conference that the talks with Meta were intensive and encompassing, so he assessed that the visit of the Head of the Albanian Diplomacy is historic in character. According to Jeremic, the future and stability of the West Balkan region depends on the relations between the Serbs and Albanians. He has underlined that it is necessary to improve those relations, because it is the common interest. The Serbian minister concluded that the relations between the two countries were burdened by the political differences of Belgrade and Tirana, relating to the future status of Kosmet, while adding that those difference did not diminish during the talks in Belgrade. “The positive thing is that we have agreed on the necessity of effort to isolate that issue, so that it would not impede our relations in other domains”, said Jeremic. He also emphasized that the two countries are tied by the Albanian minority in Serbia and the Serbian minority in Albania. He expressed hope that the position of the Serb minority in Albania will be equally good as the Albanians’ situation in Serbia and stressed that the Serbian authorities will do everything to provide the conditions for peaceful and prosperous life to the Albanians in Serbia.


NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the reduction of nuclear arsenals has to be carried out in a balanced manner, but that atomic weapons were still needed for deterrence reasons. At an international conference in Warsaw, Rasmussen said that nuclear weapons will continue to be "a major element of credible deterrence in the future." Rasmussen also said NATO needs to develop an antimissile defense system as a deterrence, while seeking to assure Moscow that the organization posed no threat to Russia. Rasmussen was in Warsaw outlining NATO's new strategy aims in which the alliance's main task remained defending the territory and people of the member countries. Rasmussen said there was no contradiction between NATO's main task of defending the alliance's member states with such new objectives such as fighting terrorism or setting up antimissile defences. NATO's new strategy is to be subjected to members' approval in November.


Russia is the first country to wish for better control of conventional forces in Europe, said Moscow’s envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin. The comment comes as Russia sends a letter on the issue to NATO Secretary General. The letter describes Russia’s attitude to the CFE treaty, a key Cold War arms control document. In 2007, Moscow suspended its participation in the treaty in response to the failure of new NATO members to ratify its adapted version. The issue was discussed during the visit of Anders Fogh Rasmussen to Moscow in December last year. It appears there was an inconsistency between Russia’s attitude and the way this attitude is perceived by NATO partners, Rogozin said. “We are one of the most active proponents of the control regime for conventional forces and support the position of those European colleagues who consider the CFE a cornerstone of European security,” the diplomat said. He pointed out that Russia did not withdraw from the treaty, but rather suspended its participation. The move is intended to give initiative to NATO partners to adopt the adapted CFE.


Far off the main road linking the capital city of Kampala with the Lake Victoria commercial port of Jinja, children lie in wait near the trenched ditches along dirt roads, waiting for white ants to climb out of their hills before the heat of the sun drives the insects underground again. With weathered plastic cups in hand they hope to catch as many of these delicacies as possible. For many children in this area, these white ants may represent their biggest source of nutrients. The HIV/AIDS epidemic and civil war over the past two decades have left a wake of extreme poverty and large families parentless and displaced from their homes. Along that same road is a clearing and the site of St. Mary Parish of the Uganda Orthodox Church (UOC). Here, the Orthodox Church provides a haven for orphans and vulnerable children to get food, education, and perhaps a little dignity. Through its primary and secondary schools at the St. Mary Parish, the UOC is providing hundreds of children throughout Uganda with schooling, books, and uniforms. "I have seen much suffering and violence in my lifetime, and I do not want the same for my brothers and sisters," says Apostolos, 20, who is the eldest of six orphaned siblings. "After our parents died it was just me left to provide for our family, and I was scared because I was still so young." IOCC is helping to support the St. Mary Parish primary and secondary schools through a new agricultural project. IOCC is constructing a poultry farm and corn mill at the school which will provide students with a marketable skill. Local villagers will also benefit from the ability to mill their corn crop locally instead of incurring the expense of milling in Kampala. And the school will be able to defer some of the costs of sponsoring children through the income brought in by the mill and the poultry. Additionally, IOCC is providing regulation desks for classrooms, which will allow the schools to be nationally certified for proctoring end of year exams. "Before we had these desks, the school was paying for the costs of students who had to travel long distances to take the year-end exam," remarks headmaster James Kakende. "Now, that money can be spent on sponsoring new children, and local families will have more money left for their survival needs." After spending more than 6 years living and studying in Katente, and being financially supported by the school, Apostolos is poised to graduate high school next year. "With the help of the school I have been educated, and given income to support my brothers and sisters, and I am no longer scared for the future." Apostolos hopes to be able to attend University and study law.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Michael's List - U.S. education standards; Russia-US Arms; FYROM; S.Ossetia, Abkhazia; Bluefin tuna; Bosnian War crimes leader; Sinners in Holy Gospel



Three days ago I reported that draft, grade-by-grade, national curricular standards would soon be released by the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Yesterday, they were. (If you want to get a sense for what the proposed standards are follow the link to them. Don’t bother with the appendices, though, unless you really want to get into the weeds.) Naturally, in the coming days lots of people will be offering heaps of commentary about what the standards do or do not contain. That’s not my main concern (though reading through the English standards I am dubious that mastery of them could be easily or consistently assessed). You see, the content of the standards is largely irrelevant because the main problem isn’t what the standards are, but standardization itself. As I’ve blathered about on numerous occasions, it makes little sense to expect all kids to master all the same things at the same rates. All kids are different – they have different talents, desires, and abilities — and to impose one, “best” progression on them is simply illogical. Another problem with imposing a single standard nationwide — and yes, this will be imposed, unless states suddenly decide they don’t like getting their citizen’s tax dollars back from Uncle Sam – is that it prevents competition between curricula. And that, in turn, kills innovation, the lifeblood of progress. So unless these standards have achieved perfection — and I’m pretty sure they haven’t — it’s a very dangerous thing to make them the end-all and be-all. Finally, no matter how brilliant the draft standards, there is no reason to believe that they will drive meaningful educational improvement. Government schools will still be government schools, and the people employed by them will still have very little incentive to push kids to excellence, and every incentive to game the system to make the standards toothless. And no one yet has offered a decent proposal, other than school-choice supporters, for getting around that very inconvenient, public-schooling truth. All of these problems help to explain why there is no convincing empirical evidence that national standards drive superior educational outcomes. Unfortunately, most national-standards advocates will talk themselves blue in the face about what’s in the standards, but avoid at all costs the question of whether standardization makes sense in the first place.


A high level Russian government source tells me an nuclear arms agreement to replace the expired START Treaty, (Strategic Reduction Arms Treaty) which was "weeks away" from being finalized in November, and "days away" from a final draft in Dcember, and "close to being finished" in January, is "still not done and not being done for a reason", "stalled", "threatened", and "going sideways" in March. The source says Russia is disappointed and frusturated with the Obama adminstration because it is "being run now by the hawks". Translation - those who want to reduce the nuclear stock piles of the two Nations, Russia and America have lost ground to those who mistrust Russia and don't want to lower the numbers of warheads and launch vehicles in America. The Russians are angry America is now talking about locating a missle defense shield in Romania and Bulgaria. And the source says Russia, now firmly see's nuclear talks and discussion of a missile defense shield firmly linked. A source on the America negotiation team confirms the Russia's have increasingly raised missile defense at nuclear arms talks in Geneva, even though originally the Russian's agreed to discuss nuclear warheads separately from the shield issue. What's changed? The Russian source tells me Russia had to hear about the missile defense shield proposal for Bulgaria and Romania from sources other than the Obama adminstration. "That is not resetting relations" said the source, referring to America promises to reset relations with Russia and rebuild trust. Bottom line - The Russians won't sign a new deal to replace START now (which expired in december) unless their concerns about missile defense are addressed. The two issues formerly delinked, are now married up and that means all the talking between American and Russian negotiators to lower nuclear warheads in both Countries won't produce a final agreement unless the Russian and American Presidents get involved and sort out the problem.


Washington has informed Prime Minister George Papandreou that it will back an effort by Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to settle their name dispute by agreeing on “Northern Macedonia” as the new name for the Balkan country. According to sources, Papandreou, who is wrapping up a visit to the USA, was told by White House officials that if Athens and Skopje can agree to Northern Macedonia as a resolution to their disagreement, then Washington would immediately adopt this name in dealings with Greece’s neighbor. United Nations mediator Matthew Nimetz visited Skopje and Athens at the end of last month but did not make any official proposal, although it is thought that he favors “Northern Macedonia” as a solution. During his talks this week with President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Papandreou also touched on the issues of Greece’s relations with Turkey and the progress of reunification talks on Cyprus. Washington officials praised Papandreou’s for having taken the initiative to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his first trip abroad. Meanwhile, it was revealed yesterday that Obama’s approval for Greece to be included in the US’s visa waiver program will be effective as of next month. Officials said that it would take about 30 days before Greeks who have a new passport fitted with a microchip can travel to the US without a visa and stay there for up to 90 days. “This is an exciting day for both the United States and Greece,” sad US Ambassador Daniel V. Speckhard. “A lot of hard work and cooperation by a lot of people in the US and Greek governments have made visa waiver a reality for Greek citizens.”


The European Union welcomes Georgia's new policy on South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the EU foreign affairs chief said on Wednesday. Georgia's new strategy for the return of the two tiny republics stresses the need for "peaceful and diplomatic methods" and was approved by the government on January 28. Catherine Ashton also welcomed Tbilisi's intention to engage in talks with the two republics, which split away from Georgia during in the early 1990s and were both recognized by Russia in 2008. Russia's recognition followed an attack by Georgian forces on South Ossetia.


The European Union on Wednesday decided to extend its support to a proposed ban on the international trade from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Malta was the only member of the 27-member European bloc to vote against the proposal, which will be presented at the forthcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar. Sweden and Austria also abstained from voting on the measure, while France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Cyprus had initially opposed the measure, changed their position on Wednesday to vote in favor of the ban. The EU move comes as bluefin tuna stocks in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean have shrunk nearly 60 percent from 1997 to 2007, mainly due to overfishing prompted by surging demand. It is estimated that the current bluefin tuna stocks across the globe is about 15% of its level before industrial fishing began. With Wednesday's decision, the European Union joins the United States in supporting the global ban on bluefin tuna trade. However, Japan, which is the largest consumer of the world's bluefin tuna catch, has indicated that it may opt out of CITES control. The EU member states also agreed to push for including elephants and polar bears, along with bluefin tuna, to the list of endangered species.


A UK court has released former Bosnian Vice President Ejup Ganic on a bail of 300,000 euros. Charged with war crimes, his extradition was formally requested by Serbia's Justice Ministry. The Court is yet to decide on whether or not to extradite him to Serbia, which had originally issued the warrant for his arrest. Ejup Ganic was arrested on the 1st of March at Heathrow airport in connection with an attack on a retreating Yugoslav army convoy in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, in 1992. Deputy Serbian war crimes prosecutor Bruno Vekaric said on Wednesday, March 10, that the collected evidence is very strong and the Serbian Prosecutor’s office has solid arguments against Ganic, who allegedly ordered an attack on retreating Yugoslav soldiers. Bosnia’s President Haris Silajdzic attended the bail hearing on Thursday in support of Ganic. Belgrade accuses Ejup Ganic, and 18 other persons involved, of plotting and carrying out armed raids on troops and defense facilities of the Yugoslav army. All the assaults were done in spring 1992, after the arrangements fot the withdrawal of Yugoslav troops from Bosnia and Herzegovina had been reached. Back then, armed Bosnian supporters attacked a military hospital, a house of the Yugoslav People’s Army in Sarajevo, a convoy of field ambulances and a convoy of troops leaving Sarajevo on a co-ordinated route. The latter tactical event was the most tragic. The Bosnian combatants killed 42 soldiers, left 72 wounded and took 215 soldiers and officers captive, who were later kept prisoners in violation of the international convention on POWs. The Hague Tribunal never investigated the Ejup Ganic because it lacked the recourses to do so, and therefore passed the decision to the national court. The Sarajevo court has been sitting on Ganic’s case for seven years already, without having taken any action to investigate the case whatsoever. The Serbian prosecutor’s office has long wanted to indict Ejup Ganic with war crimes against wounded Yugoslav soldiers and prisoners of war, and also with illicit methods of conducting war. If extradited to Serbia, Ejup Ganic would be the first high-ranking Bosnian Muslim official tried for war crimes.


When one looks upon the Gospel’s sinners, listens to them and sees their behavior, one unavoidably thinks, how good these sinners were basically compared to us and to the people of our time. Here is a crowd, enraged by a violation of a Divine commandment, approaching the Savior. It is dragging a woman "taken in adultery," and is ready to stone her. How reverently this crowd hears the wise and succinct response of the Savior to their question and how each of their consciences is directly moved by it. Is such a thing possible today? Overcome by the inner judgement of their conscience, these sinners go their own way. Could such a thing happen today? In the first place it is difficult to imagine that people today would be so upset, both religiously and sincerely, by the very idea of adultery. Such a sin today is celebrated, exalted in popular literature, plays and cinema. This is a subject of numerous repetitions, vainglory and special heroics. Would it be possible to see the manifestation of such a religious response to the sin that moved that Hebrew and pagan crowd in Jerusalem? One cannot imagine how people in whatever current social milieu, could express such fervent outrage towards a violation of Divine law and then experience such a profound shame on hearing the calm and meek words of the Divine Teacher. See how all of them begin to leave, prodded by their own consciences. Not too many social critics of their neighbor could project such moral sensitivity today. And the Gospel’s sinful Prodigal Son. How he stirs our consciousness with his subtle and profound repentance. What an incredible soul, in the humility of its feelings: "Father, I am not worthy to be Your son, accept me as one of Your hired hands." We also see those great Evangelical criminals, Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit. Suddenly dying, because they held back the proceeds from some of the goods that they voluntarily offered to God. Are they not innocent babes compared to the spiritual hypocrites of our times? How many Christians and even pastors today promise to give up their whole lives to the Lord God but give up only an insignificant part, holding back the rest for their own selfish needs. And the Publicans, contemporary with our Lord Jesus Christ, those tax gatherers, those first-century corrupt officials so despised by the Palestinian people, are they not innocent babes compared to many officials of our days, in all lands and among all nations of the world? Even the classical, frequently remembered Barabbas the robber, freed by Pilate instead of Christ, and who without doubt would kill someone on the way — how can we compare his crime with the methodical and consciously merciless destruction in our days of millions of innocent victims, with their wives and children "for the good of the State"? Look at Zaccheus the tax gatherer. How quickly he runs to the tree so he can climb it and see the Savior! How anxious is he to see the Savior! How he rejoices that he has seen the Savior! The Gospel teaches us not only through its righteous ones. It also leads us to repentance, towards God, through the images of its sinners, their humanity, their sensitivity towards the good. Here, they are carrying the costly alabaster jar with precious ointment and shatter it in order to anoint the Savior’s body. Here they weep bitterly after their renunciation. Here they stop on the road, as did Saul, blinded by the heavenly vision. All these things change their lives or, judging themselves upon their own cross, they beg the Lord to have mercy upon them. Where is our ointment? Where are our tears? Where is the perception of our conscience in exposing ourselves? We see none of this. We follow our own plans, projects, feelings, passions, and we overlook Christ’s gentle Truth that loves us. We have gone far astray not only from the Gospel but even from the Gospel’s sinners! The Lord has given His Word great power. The ancient sinners amaze us with their humanity, their humility, which shines through their sins. The Lord meant to enlighten us and comfort us with images of these sinners, void of our tendencies of self-satisfaction and self-admiration. Even we can become like those very human sinners if we find it impossible to love God. Perhaps the Lord wanted to bring us to tears, even bitter tears, when we compare our feelings with the experiences of those sinners in the Gospels. We can see very clearly what those sinners in the Gospel were like and what we – oh so civilized! – really are. Praising himself in Jerusalem’s temple, the ancient Pharisee is but a child when compared to the blatant and the veiled examples of self-aggrandizement of the numerous social, political and yes, even ecclesiastical personages in our times. Evangelical sinfulness is merely the sound of a "shepherd’s flute" compared to the importune, deafening and shameless symphony of sins of our times. Today people rise up against God’s Spirit not just individually but collectively. What is white is so insistently pushed in this world, but that which is white is really black. "Let the mountains fall upon us and let the hills cover us"! Who, these days, has the ability to whisper the Publican’s humble prayer? We all consider ourselves to be "successful" Publicans and view all our neighbors as Pharisees. We do not repent as Peter did nor do we give "half of our goods" to the poor as Zaccheus did after a simple glance from Jesus. If we could only forget the oil as did the foolish virgins. Or just bury the Talent into the sad ground, having accomplished nothing sinful with it. If only, even ignoring Truth itself, we could simply busy ourselves with our family activities or peacefully put our oxen to work. . . But, no. We participate in those iniquities, which come into the world under the guise of a special concern for people and nations. Even the Gospel’s greatest sinner, Judas, in his despair, saw his sin. And even if his repentance before God was not all that sincere, he still threw away his crime-stained money, the thirty pieces of silver, the price of his betrayal and, tormented by his conscience cried: "I betrayed innocent blood." And is it not so, in our days, that the wellbeing of people and nations is built upon the innocent suffering of many? Considering the sinfulness revealed to us in the Gospel and considering how we all live, can we not but be aware that the Last Judgement is already standing before the gates of the world? Illuminating us with the righteousness of its righteous ones, the Gospel also teaches us by the examples of its sinners, so that we might place all our hope upon the Truth of Christ and not on our own righteousness. And through the Lord’s mercy, enter into that Truth.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Michael's List - AHEPA, Visa Waiver Program, Greek Independence, White House; Women of Courage; French, Kosovo; Biden, Israeli; Cats; Childhood



The leading membership-based association for the nation's three million American citizens of Greek heritage, and countless Philhellenes, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), applauds today's news that Greece has been designated a member of the United States' Visa Waiver Program, announced National President Nicholas A. Karacostas following his meeting today with officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "This is exciting and welcomed news," Karacostas said. "Greece has worked extremely hard to meet, and in some cases exceed, the United States' rigid visa waiver program criteria. We also thank the efforts of officials at the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and our champions on Capitol Hill, especially the Hellenic Caucus, for working ceaselessly to see this process through to its proper completion." He continued, "Greece's entry is a source of pride for the American Hellenic community. Now our relatives can visit us at a moment's notice if needed, commerce will flourish, and tourism to the United States will increase. Today, the long-standing strategic partnership between the United States and Greece becomes even stronger." Greece's entry into the Visa Waiver Program is a significant initiative championed by AHEPA because of the organization's historical role as a bridge between the United States and Greece for 88 years. Since January 2006, AHEPA worked with Congress to introduce legislation that designates Greece as a visa waiver nation, and hosted a public policy forum with leading administration, congressional, and policy experts to create awareness of the subject. Moreover, AHEPA worked with the Departments of State and Homeland Security to present the position of the American Hellenic community on the issue. Founded in 1922 in Atlanta, Georgia, to protect individuals from the evils of bigotry and discrimination, AHEPA is the largest and oldest grassroots association of American citizens of Greek heritage and Philhellenes with more than 350 chapters across the United States, Canada, Greece and Cyprus. The mission of AHEPA is to promote the ancient Greek ideals of Education, Philanthropy, Civic Responsibility, and Family and Individual Excellence. For more information, please visit www.ahepa.org.


President Obama celebrated Greek Independence Day on Tuesday March 9th this year. Archbishop Demetrios, Vice president Joe Biden and the Secretary of State Hilary Clinton were present for the Greek Independence day celebration. Greek Prime minister George Papandreou who earlier had a meeting with president was also present at the East Wing where the party took place. The reason for celebrating two weeks earlier instead of the actual day on March 25th is because the President has a very heavy schedule and will be out of the country on the 25th of the month. “Greek Independence Day isn’t for another few weeks. But I’ll be on a trip to Asia, so I appreciate you coming early — not that Greeks have ever needed an excuse to celebrate, let’s face it,” the president joked. President Obama acknowledged that the country is facing troubling times but tried not to talk too much about it since this was a celebration. “Like his father and his grandfather before him, the Prime Minister is leading Greece through challenging times. But as I told him during our meeting in the Oval Office today, whether in good times or in bad times, the people of Greece will always have a friend and a partner in the United States of America.” Mr. Obama used the Greek word “philotimo,” throughout this speech and said he grew up with Ancient Greek myths. Archbishop Demetrios, the Ambassadors of Greece and Cyprus and members of congress, were present.


Yesterday Labor Secretary Hilda Solis discussed her perspective on International Women’s Day, and the First Lady's role in recognizing and exemplifying the ideals behind it. Today, the State Department's DipNote blog tells us about the annual International Women of Courage Awards -- and will allow you to watch the ceremony live at 3:00. First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will host the annual International Women of Courage Awards. To mark International Women's Day, the annual International Women of Courage Award recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and advancement. This is the only Department of State award that pays tribute to emerging women leaders worldwide, and offers a unique opportunity to recognize those who work in the field of international women's issues. Secretary Clinton announced the 10 winners of this year's International Women of Courage (IWOC) award. The awardees are: Shukria Asil (Afghanistan), Col. Shafiqa Quraishi (Afghanistan), Androula Henriques (Cyprus), Sonia Pierre (Dominican Republic), Shadi Sadr (Iran), Ann Njogu (Kenya), Dr. Lee Ae-ran (Republic of Korea), Jansila Majeed (Sri Lanka), Sister Marie Claude Naddaf (Syria), and Jestina Mukoko (Zimbabwe). Read more about the honorees here.


A media watchdog on Wednesday condemned French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's recent remark that a Serb reporter was "insane" for asking him a question about alleged organ trafficking in Kosovo. The South East Europe Media Organization, based in Austria, said in a statement that Kouchner's behavior was unprofessional and surprising from a French government representative. Kouchner, who was Kosovo's U.N. administrator in 1999-2001, was asked by a Voice of America reporter in Kosovo this month if he knew about allegations that minority Kosovo Serbs were kidnapped by ethnic Albanians and had their organs removed for trafficking during the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict. "But you are sick, aren't you? Do I look like someone who would traffic organs? You are insane to believe all kinds of nonsense like that," Kouchner responded. "Sir, you should consult (a doctor) ... people who talk about things like that are bastards and murderers." Europe's top right body, the Council of Europe, is currently conducting an investigation into the alleged organ trafficking — a probe let by Swiss Senator Dick Marty. Serbian officials say up to 400 Kosovo Serbs vanished without a trace during the war, and some fear a few dozen may have fallen victim to an organ trafficking operation performed in the so-called "yellow house" inside neighboring Albania. Kosovo and Albania have strongly denied the allegations of organ trafficking, which first surfaced in a book by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. She portrayed the "yellow house" as a building in Albania where organs might have been surgically removed from the victims. But Kouchner said, "There was no yellow house. There was no organ trade." The media watchdog said it was unacceptable that a top official should be so aggressive at a news conference. "As a politician and a member of the French government, he should communicate professionally and responsibly with journalists," said the South East Europe Media Organization. "We would have expected Mr. Kouchner to react in a more courteous and dignified way." Asked about the organization's criticism, French Foreign Ministry officials in Paris declined to comment immediately.


The United States has launched a rare verbal attack on Israel over its plan to build more than 1,600 homes on occupied land. In a statement issued after he arrived 90 minutes late for dinner with the Israeli President, the US Vice President Joe Biden condemned the move, saying it “undermines the trust we need right now and runs counter to the constructive discussions that I’ve had here in Israel.” Israel announced the new settlements would go up in Ramat Shlomo, a part of East Jerusalem Palestinians claim for a future capital. The Palestinian Authority’s spokesman said the timing showed peace was not a priority for Israel. “The proposal is another indicator that the priority for the Israeli government is to consolidate the illegal occupation,” said Ghassan Khatib. Israel’s refusal to stop settlement building has been a major obstacle to a resumption of the talks. It also puts Biden in an uncomfortable position ahead of discussions with Palestinian leaders.


Ever heard of “the Hermitage cats”? Their official residence for centuries has been one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, Russia's landmark, the Hermitage. Stray cats from the historic art palace seek “a better shelter”, looking for those who are ready to take them home. The “Want to Go Home” campaign is currently underway in St Petersburg, aimed at helping the city's stray animals find permanent homes and owners who will take care of them. Cats have fancied St Petersburg's hub of culture since its foundation by Catherine the Great. They first lived in the former residence of the Russian emperors, the Winter Palace. These cats have an eye for real art and luxury, and could probably spot a fake painting from an original quicker than professional art dealers. At least that’s what their feline demeanors seem to indicate. Their number plummeted during the deadly Leningrad Blockade. After the end of WW2, the Hermitage took care of the cats, whose vital duty is helping the museum get rid of those gnawing beasts, rats and mice. In fact, their number is strictly specified. No more than fifty cats and kittens can stay at the Hermitage, although more cats always seem to turn up.


When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1 Corinthians 13:11. Not long ago, I was standing in the checkout line at K-Mart when the three-year-old in front of me began to melt down. He wanted one of those colorful, nutritionally questionable, snacks strategically – and purposely – placed at a child’s eye level. His mother told him he couldn’t have it. So he begged, whined, sobbed, bargained, spat, and publicly announced, “you don’t love me, mommy!” His mother stood her ground. Sensing that he wasn’t going to win, he pulled out the “final solution” in every toddler’s arsenal of manipulative techniques: he threw a tantrum. Clearly at the end of her rope, the mother lashed out, “Would you PUL-EEEZE act your age?!” I couldn’t stop myself from tapping her on the shoulder and saying, “He is acting his age!” “Ex-CUUUSE me, sir,” she glared. “This is really none of your business.” “I fully acknowledge that,” I responded. “I’m merely pointing out that he is acting his age.” “Well, he needs to grow up,” she retorted. “He will, in due time,” I replied. “But for now, he’s a threeyear-old acting like three-year-olds act in this kind of situation.” “Well, he shouldn’t act like this,” she snapped as she dragged her son, who surely would be sentenced to a 20-year time-out when he got home, from the store. We live in a curious time, one in which we so often and so unconsciously deprive our children of their right to be children. We’re told that plopping our infants in front of a “Baby Einstein” DVD will make them smarter – or, at least, give them an “edge” over their future pre-school peers. We organize their every waking moment with play dates with the “right” neighbors, calm them down with Mozart and Beethoven symphonies, introduce them to computers long before they can utter a simple sentence, and keep them permanently germ-free with a wide array of disinfectants and anti-bacterial soaps, sprays, spritzes, and towelettes designed to route out the evils lurking in the sandbox – which we don’t let them play in lest they get dirty. There are even those who believe that permitting children to role play or fantasize can affect them in a less-than-positive manner. A few months ago, a parishioner told me about a neighbor who would no longer allow her daughter to play with hers because she discovered that they had been playing hospital. Since they weren’t really nurses and their dolls weren’t really sick, the neighbor reasoned, such “unrealistic fantasy” could have a “negative impact on my child’s ability to discern reality from fiction.” Say what??!! The apostle Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, writes, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” [13:11]. Countless preachers have expounded on the second half of this passage, urging their flocks to live serious adult lives, to act their age, to take responsibility for their actions, and to shun the temptation to be childish. Few, however, notice that in the first half of this passage, Saint Paul acknowledges that it’s perfectly natural for children to speak, to understand, and to think like children, precisely because that’s what they are! They’ll grow up in due time, and somewhere along the line they’ll let go of their “childish things” – hopefully. But until they do, they remain what they are – or, to be more precise, what they should be. And it is up to us, the parents and others who inhabit the “village” it takes to raise them, to allow them to delight in precious, Godgiven gift of childhood.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Michael's List - Pirates captured; Greece, Cyprus, Obama, Turkey, Genocide fallout; Albania, organ case; Russia, S. Ossetia; St. Tikon's



Thirty-five suspected pirates and four ships were captured off Somalia in an operation involving the French Navy and European Union forces, officials said. It was the largest number of arrests since EU ships began monitoring the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean two years ago, The Times of London reported Tuesday. "The pirates are learning that we are not a soft touch," an unidentified French naval commander in Paris told The Times. The 35 suspects captured during the weekend were to be flown to Kenya, which already has prosecuted about 100 pirates on behalf of countries with forces in the region. Friday, pirates seized a Norwegian-owned oil tanker off Madagascar and sailed it toward Somalia. The UBT Ocean, owned by Brovigtank, was carrying oil from the United Arab Emirates to Tanzania. The captain managed to place an emergency call saying pirates had boarded the ship. "Very quickly afterwards we lost all contact with the boat," a Brovigtank spokesman told The Times.

Prime Minister George Papandreou will meet on Tuesday with US President Barack Obama in Washington. Earlier, Papandreou will hold talks with with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi at the Capitol. On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hailed the efforts being made by the Greek government to handle the economic crisis and accepted the suggestion by the Greek Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou for the US and the other major economies of the planet to discuss the need to improve auditing apparatuses in markets during the next G20 summit. During their 45-minute meeting at the State Department, the Greek prime minister and the head of American diplomacy also discussed developments on the issue of Cyprus, the Balkans and NATO operations in Afghanistan.


Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou said on Monday he would meet Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan within the next few months to discuss a "just solution" for Cyprus. "I will be meeting with (Turkish) Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in the next few months. We haven't yet set the date but it will be very soon," he told a news conference after talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Papandreou said Cyprus had long divided Turkey and Greece and required a solution "sooner the better." Turkey has about 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus and Erdogan has said Ankara would consider a withdrawal if there was a deal. "We do need to liberate this island from that kind of activity and that kind of situation," Papandreou added. The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have been divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974. "I have given my full support to (Greek Cypriot leader) Demetris Christofias and his work to move ahead mad continue the peace process, the process and negotiation for finding a just solution, one which will be a federated solution," Papandreou said. "I very much support the sooner the better, but of course a just solution, which will also be within the framework of European legislation," he added. The Greek leader said he would like to see the issue resolved in a way that made Greek-Turkish relations on Cyprus a model for peace to show "the world that former foes can be the best of good partners in this globalizing world."


Turkey will not send its U.S. ambassador back to Washington until it receives "clarity" on a measure that recommends the United States recognize the 1915 killings of ethnic Armenians as genocide, Turkey's prime minister said Tuesday. "As long as we don't see clarity in the situation about the Armenian bill, we won't send our ambassador (back)," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a lunch with journalists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The ambassador was recalled last week to protest the House Foreign Affairs Committee's passage of the measure on a 23-22 vote Thursday. The nearly century-old issue has placed both Congress and the White House in the middle of a political minefield. The Obama administration had urged the committee not to pass the resolution, warning it could damage U.S.-Turkish relations and jeopardize efforts to normalize relations between Turkey and its neighbor, Armenia. The two do not share formal diplomatic relations. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters Friday that "the Obama administration strongly opposes the resolution that was passed by only one vote in the House committee, and we'll work very hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor."


Albania's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta says the country is willing to cooperate with international institutions. This came in response to the claims made by some UN officials that Albania is preventing an international investigation into the allegations of human organ trafficking during the 1999 conflict in Kosovo. Meta described the allegations as lacking evidence, adding that the Albanian government is determined to complete the process and put an end to all claims about such crimes in Albania "once and for all". United Nations official Philip Alston accused Albania last month of preventing an international investigation into the allegations of torture, murder and organ trafficking during the 1999 conflict in Kosovo. Serbian judicial officials state that ethnic Albanian terrorists kidnapped Serbs in Kosovo during the conflict and took them to Albania where they were killed and their organs extracted to be sold on the black market.


Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday instructed the Defense Ministry to hold talks with South Ossetia on signing an agreement on a Russian military base in the former Georgian republic. A similar agreement was signed in Moscow on February 17 with Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic. The agreement was concluded during Kremlin talks between President Medvedev and his Abkhazian counterpart, Sergei Bagapsh, who arrived in Moscow on his first visit since his reelection as president of the tiny region on the Black Sea. According to the agreement, the base will "protect Abkhazia's sovereignty and security, including against international terrorist groups." The agreement with Abkhazia was signed for a period of 49 years with the option of its extension by 15-year periods, despite fierce criticism from Tbilisi and Western nations. Moscow recognized the independence of the two former Georgian republics in August 2008 after a five-day war to repel an assault by U.S. ally Georgia on South Ossetia. Georgia has fiercely criticized the plans for the bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it considers part of its territory. Russia's military buildup in the region since the armed conflict has also been condemned by the West as running counter to international law and contravening the internationally brokered ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia in the wake of their August 2008 conflict. However, Medvedev said after signing an agreement on the military base with Abkhazia that the deal and a host of other agreements signed in the Kremlin were in line with Russia's international commitments.


The administration and faculty of Saint Tikhon's Seminary here were pleased to learn recently that the Ministry of Education of the Hellenic Republic has decided to recognize the seminary as an accredited higher education institution, equal in standing to the schools of theology at Greek universities. According to Bishop-elect Michael [Dahulich] of New York and New Jersey, seminary Dean, the Ministry of Education affirmed that the Master of Divinity degree conferred by Saint Tikhon's Seminary is equivalent to the first degree in Theology conferred by the Theological Schools at the Universities of Athens and Thessalonica. As such, it makes it possible for degree holders to pursue the universities' graduate studies and doctoral [Th.D.] programs. By virtue of Greece's membership in the European Union, this distinction extends to all schools and religious faculties at EU member state universities. "This is truly a great event in the history of Saint Tikhon's Seminary and the culmination of tremendous work and effort by everyone associated with it, especially our dearly beloved and deeply respected Dean, Bishop-Elect Michael," said Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Professor of Patristics. "The Saint Tikhon community is grateful to God for bestowing this great and unsolicited blessing upon our humble efforts to spiritually form and academically prepare pastors and leaders for His Holy Orthodox Church." For more information about this announcement visit the seminary web site at www.stots.edu.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Michael's List - Asteroids killed dinosaurs; Cyprus; Turkey furious at US; Serbia-US; Bosnia's warning; Russia-Georgia relations; Coptic in Egypt



A panel of 41 scientists from across the world reviewed 20 years' worth of research to try to confirm the cause of the so-called Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) extinction, which created a "hellish environment" around 65 million years ago and wiped out more than half of all species on the planet. Scientific opinion was split over whether the extinction was caused by an asteroid or by volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps in what is now India, where there were a series of super volcanic eruptions that lasted around 1.5 million years. The new study, conducted by scientists from Europe, the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan and published in the journal Science, found that a 15-kilometre (9 miles) wide asteroid slamming into Earth at Chicxulub in what is now Mexico was the culprit. The asteroid is thought to have hit Earth with a force a billion times more powerful than the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. Scientists working on the study analyzed the work of paleontologists, geochemists, climate modelers, geophysicists and sedimentologists who have been collecting evidence about the KT extinction over the last 20 years. Geological records show the event that triggered the dinosaurs' demise rapidly destroyed marine and land ecosystems, they said, and the asteroid hit "is the only plausible explanation for this."


We appreciate James Morrison's Feb. 23 item "Recall Demanded" (Embassy Row, Geopolitics), which reported on the American Hellenic Institute's response to comments made by U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey to a Turkish newspaper. Journalism such as this is important in bringing to the forefront important issues that usually do not receive as much attention as other foreign policy issues. However, the article contains several misstatements of fact about the background of the Cyprus issue. The Turkish military action against the Republic of Cyprus on July 20, 1974, was not an "incursion," but rather an illegal cross-border invasion of another sovereign nation, accomplished with the illegal use of U.S.-supplied arms. The right-wing perpetrators of the coup, who were sponsored by the Greek junta in Athens, lasted in power for just eight days. Whatever the intent of the perpetrators of the coup, they fell from power, and the legitimate government of Cyprus was restored on July 23, 1974. Nevertheless, Turkey launched its second invasion, expelling the Greek Cypriot population and occupying nearly 40 percent of the territory of Cyprus. It was these "military moves" that resulted in "a division of the island." Turkey continues to illegally occupy Cyprus with more than 40,000 troops. It also has altered the demographics of the occupied area with the creation in 1983 of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), in defiance of United Nations resolutions. The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey. Finally, Turkey continues to ship settlers from mainland Turkey to occupied Cyprus in violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law. The number of settlers now totals more than 180,000.


The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has approved a resolution that recognizes the World War I-era deaths of Armenians in Ottoman-era Turkey as an act of “genocide”. After hours of discussion, the House of Foreign Affairs Committee barely passed the resolution with a 23-22 vote that labels the murder of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians during World War I as genocide. However, the Committee’s decision is only another step in recognizing the genocide. The 23-22 vote now sends the measure to the full House of Representatives, where the prospects for passage are uncertain. In 2007 a similar notion was adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee; however, it never made to the next level. After intense pressure by the Bush administration, who feared passage of the resolution would harm their war effort in the Middle East, the resolution was not brought to the House floor. Despite US President Barack Obama’s vows during the 2008 presidential campaign to recognize the killings of Armenians as genocide, the White House had urged against the vote, fearing that it could anger Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey. However, last year at the annual White House statement on the day marking the Armenian remembrance, Obama also failed to call the killings a “genocide”. It’s estimated that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Turks during World War I. Many historians call this the “first genocide of the 20th century.” A number of countries – including Germany, Russia, Italy, France, Canada, Greece and most of the US states, as well as the Vatican, the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches have denounced the killings as genocide. Turkey however, says the death toll has been inflated and those killed were the victims of civil war and unrest, denying that genocide had taken place. Ankara insists, in order for Armenia to have diplomatic and economic relations with Turkey, it should drop its claim for international recognition of genocide.


US Ambassador in Belgrade Mary Warlick said US-Serbia relations were very positive and that the USA strongly supports Serbia’s EU integrations, while Serbia could play an important role in the region. She told Belgrade daily BLIC her task is to follow the new tone instilled in mutual relations by US Vice-President Joseph Beiden, during his visit to Belgrade last year and to develop a new chapter in those relations. Despite differences in the opinion on some issues, such as the Kosovo one, the USA wants to build strong relations with Serbia. The annual US aid programme of 50 million USD is aimed at supporting reforms to promote Serbia’s integrations in the EU and in global institutions, she said. The USA is finding ways to enhance the business dimension of mutual relations as much as possible, she said.


Bosnia’s Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj warned Belgrade yesterday about its demand to extradite a former Bosnian leader arrested in Britain. Alkalaj told his Serbian counterpart in a telephone conversation that the extradition of Ejup Ganic was “not the way to improve relations” between Belgrade and Sarajevo, which have remained fragile since the 1992-95 war. “I told him that we are lodging a serious protest with the Serbian government and demanding that it withdraw the request for Ganic’s extradition, as a step toward further strengthening neighborly relations,” the independent Bosnian news agency ONASA quoted Alkalaj as saying. However, Serbia has not withdrawn its request, Alkalaj said. Ganic was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on Monday on a warrant issued by Serbia, which wants him for the killing of 18 soldiers and officers in an attack on a Yugoslav army convoy in May 1992. Ganic was a member of the Bosnian presidency at the time. However, Bosnia believes he should stand trial there and not in Serbia and has launched a rival extradition request. A British judge refused to free Ganic on Wednesday, saying the risk that he would flee was too high. Ganic is to appear in court on Tuesday. Bosnian Muslim leader Haris Silajdzic voiced disappointment that a British court had denied bail for Ganic following his arrest. Silajdzic’s office voiced “disbelief regarding the decision and moves by British authorities since the beginning of the case.” It said in a statement that the Bosnian ambassador to Britain and Ganic’s lawyers and family had not been allowed to visit him. “Due to this open violation of laws and international obligations since his arrest, Ganic is in a complete isolation and has no information about his case,” said Silajdzic, the Muslim member of Bosnia’s joint presidency.


Moscow said on Friday it linked the improvement of soured relations with Tbilisi to 'realistically minded' political figures in Georgia. The statement came in the wake of a Thursday meeting in Moscow between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and one of Georgia's opposition leaders, Nino Burdzhanadze. The statement said Russia and Georgia need to search for a way out of the impasse in their relations, which "is key to peace in the Trans-Caucasus." Moscow stressed that it linked the restoration of relations "with those political figures in Georgia who take a realistic view of the current situation in the region." The ministry said various aspects of "the current complex state of Russian-Georgian relations" were discussed and that "despite the ongoing crisis and the absence of diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia, it is essential to search for a way out of this impasse." Burdzhanadze also met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The former speaker of the Georgian parliament, once an ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili, came to Moscow for talks with Russian political leaders, saying that such dialogue was crucial for Georgia. Burdzhanadze is one of a growing number of Georgian opposition leaders seeking to start political dialogue between Russia and Georgia, calling it crucial for Georgia's future. Former Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli has visited Moscow several times in recent months. However, Georgian parliamentary deputies loyal to Saakashvili have already accused Burdzhanadze of "treason" over her Moscow visit.


The church is carved out of El Mokattam, a giant bluff on the outskirts of Cairo. Egypt's Coptic Church is one of Christianity's earliest, and its history goes back to 42 A.D. This church was built in the 1990s by wealthier members of the Copt community, many living abroad. But most of the Copts in Egypt today are poor and a distinct minority in a country that is now 90 percent Muslim. They often complain about being discriminated against. Sometimes, religious tension has escalated into violence. Six Copt worshipers and a Muslim guard were gunned down outside a church on January 7, the day Coptic and orthodox churches celebrate Christmas. The attack was an apparent retaliation for the alleged rape of a Muslim girl by a Christian man. The funerals for the dead brought forth more violence, this time angry Copts clashed with police. Author and democracy activist Alaa Al Aswany blames the tension on a steady rise in the Wahabi brand of religious conservatism, much of it imported from and financed by Saudi Arabia and, he says, promoted endlessly on television. To watch the video segment or read the transcript, click here.

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Michael's List- Obama breaks promise, again; Hamas spy memoir; Germany to Greece:"sell islands"; Italy, Kosovo, KLA, US; Russian Emperor; Haiti Relief



The Obama administration is urging Congress to hold off on a resolution declaring the Ottoman era killing of Armenians as genocide. The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee was scheduled to vote on the resolution Thursday, and appeared likely to endorse it. But White House spokesman Mike Hammer said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had spoken with the committee's chairman, Democratic Rep. Howard Berman, on Wednesday and indicated that such a vote would jeopardize reconciliation talks between Turkey and Armenia. The move breaks a campaign promise by President Obama to brand the killings genocide. Turkey, a NATO ally with a pivotal role for U.S. interests in the Middle East and Afghanistan, has warned the resolution could jeopardize U.S-Turkish cooperation and set back negotiations aimed at opening the border between Turkey and Armenia.


Mosab Hassan Yousef, who helped Israel's security forces kill and arrest members of the Islamic militant group Hamas, is probably marked for death. He should be keeping silent. But he's got a story to tell, one he delivers in his new book published this week, "Son of Hamas." In his memoir, Yousef, the 32-year-old son of a Hamas founder, claims he was one of the Shin Bet security agency's best assets and was dubbed The Green Prince, a reference to his Hamas pedigree and the Islamists' signature green colour. During his 50-minute interview, for which he arrived with armed security, Yousef criticized Hamas leaders including political chief Khaled Meshaal. He lashed out at Hamas, saying the organization lives in the Middle Ages. And he hurled his most inflammatory comments at Islam, which he called a religion that teaches people to kill. "It is not a religion of peace," said Yousef, who converted to Christianity. "The biggest terrorist is the God of the Quran. I know this is very dangerous and this will offend many people. The more you follow the steps of the prophet of Islam and the God of Islam, the more you get close to being a terrorist." Yousef said he started working with the Shin Bet after he was arrested and witnessed Hamas brutalities inside prison. When he was released in 1997, he started meeting with the Shin Bet and gravitating toward Christianity. Yousef thought he could do some good, preventing the deaths of Israelis and Palestinians. "I got a chance to stop killing," he said.


Scoring easy points with a German electorate unwilling to rescue Greece from its own deficit, public figures and politicians said the indebted Mediterranean country should consider privatizing state holdings — like its islands. “The bankrupt one has to do everything he can to make money for the sake of his creditors,” said Josef Schlarmann, a member of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat party who heads a lobby of small and midsize businesses that back the CDU. “Greece possesses buildings, businesses and uninhabited islands, which can be used to pay down debt.” The harsh words are not the first shot that German publications have sent across the bow as Greece’s prime minister prepares to meet with the German chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday seeking signs of solidarity. Focus, a German magazine, ran a retouched photo of the Venus de Milo, her waist wrapped in a Greek flag, raising one restored arm to show the reader her middle finger next to the title: “Swindler in the Euro-family.” The Greeks responded by invoking the Nazi occupation of the country during World War II, and a diplomatic incident was only narrowly avoided. Most Greeks are prepared for the government cuts, a poll last week showed, but some pensioners and unions have protested the austerity plan, with a three-hour nationwide strike called for Friday. Germany, like most of the developed world, has struggled with high unemployment since the financial crisis. In February, the jobless rate stood at 8.2 percent, hardly down from a year ago and up from 7.5 percent in December. Europe’s largest economy has one of the lower budget deficits in the region, at 3.3 percent of its GDP, but that it still above what it is allowed under EU rules, and some analysts expect it to almost double this year, which means Germany faces deep budget cuts without the additional expense of a Greek rescue.


Italy will respect the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has stated. The highest UN court is expected to this year give its advisory opinion on the legality under international law of the Kosovo Albanian unilateral independence declaration, made over two years ago. In an interview for Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti Thursday, Frattini pointed out that Serbia's candidacy for the EU membership could be on the agenda already at the next Council of Ministers session. "It is now up to the European Commission to make a complete analysis of Serbia's application for EU membership on a technical level," Frattini said, adding that he believes this should be done quickly. "Italy is, if I may say so, a good advocate of Serbia's European path. But this requires 'technical time'," he added. When asked if the year of 2014 is realistic for Serbia in terms of full EU membership, Frattini said that everything depends on negotiations and that it is too early to talk about this now. "When it comes to Kosovo, we will continue with a very balanced approach," Frattini said. "We appreciate the fact that Serbia has decided to achieve a result with legal rather than political means regarding its disapproval of Kosovo's independence. Of course, we will respect whatever the decision the court makes," he underscored.


Something happened after President Clinton's 1999 war in Kosovo: It never ended. Its continuation was characterized by anti-Serb arson, kidnappings, bombings of NATO-escorted civilian buses and efforts to kill everyone from schoolgirls to octogenarians, plus the rare peacekeeper who tried to prevent any of this. Toward the end of 1999, several major newspapers reported on findings that mass graves such as the infamous Trepca zinc mine turned up empty, as did the stadium we were told was being used as a concentration camp. Anyone reading this one-time follow-up also would have learned that the "cleansing" of 800,000 Albanians had more to do with NATO bombs and Kosovo Liberation Army orders than with the outrageous claim that Serbia was trying to empty the province of 90 percent of its population. But the bombshell postwar story had no legs. No media outlet, human rights organization or congressional subcommittee launched an investigation, and the press moved on, taking the public with it. So Americans don't know that within months of our serving as the Kosovo Liberation Army's (KLA) air force, the Albanian insurgents also tried to seize the Presevo Valley area in southern Serbia and by early 2001 started a civil war in Macedonia, which had sheltered 400,000 refugees during the Kosovo war. At the same time, the Albanian fighters started to engage NATO troops openly. In February 2000, the U.N. and NATO in Kosovo issued a joint statement that "two young French soldiers, who came here as peacekeepers, are lying in hospital beds suffering from gunshot wounds inflicted on them by the very people that they came here to protect," the CATO Institute's Gary Dempsey reported. He added, "As a candid intelligence officer with the U.N. Mission in Kosovo [UNMIK] explained to me in November, 'We are their tool, and when we stop being useful to them, they will turn against us.'" In March 2000, The Washington Post reported, "A senior Pentagon official warned yesterday that U.S. troops in Kosovo this spring may have to fight their former allies, ethnic Albanian guerrillas who are rearming themselves and threatening cross-border attacks against Serbia. 'This has got to cease and desist, and if not, ultimately it is going to lead to confrontation between the Albanians and KFOR [NATO Kosovo Force].' " But that didn't happen. Instead, we came around to seeing things the Albanian way. We didn't want Albanians to start killing us, so we let them keep killing Serbs. Rather than see what would happen if we tried saying "no" to Albanian demands and designs, and risk Americans discerning the real nature of their new best friends - which of course would compound the domestic terror threat - we guaranteed ourselves a bigger, more entrenched and more global problem. When Kosovo re-entered the headlines in 2008, some started catching on. In March 2008, Northwestern University law professor Eugene Kontorovich wrote in the New York Sun, "An important ingredient of Kosovo's success in achieving self-determination seems to be their constant threats of violence. The Kosovar prime minister ... often warned of 'dangers' and 'unforeseeable consequences' if the province were not allowed to secede. ... As a result, NATO and America have become parties to the carve-up of a sovereign state that they subdued by force. ... For international law, the entire process is a string of humiliations ... peacekeepers are hostages; and sovereignty is trumped by the threat of terror.".. An excerpt from a 1999 Q&A in Time magazine illuminates how far we swerved from our original goals: "The alliance wants Kosovo to be given autonomy within the Yugoslav federation, but opposes the full independence that the KLA is fighting for, fearing that creating a new Kosovar-Albanian state would further destabilize an already volatile region." Today, however, even the language is reversed: that which we knew would destabilize the region is now promoted as what is needed to "stabilize" the region. And so our military is being used to enforce KLA directives and make the last of the resisting Serbs comply with the new reality... Most of the last resisting Serbs are in the only remaining part of Kosovo where it is still safe to be Serbian, Northern Kosovska Mitrovica, along the boundary with Serbia. The Serbs there have been open to a partition that would allow them to stay within the internationally recognized borders of their country, Serbia. But we were informed by our Albanian "partners" that a partition was out of the question, ironically invoking "territorial integrity" - which our leaders then repeated.


US Ambassador to Russia John Bayerli returned to Russia a silver medallion of the last Russian Emperor’s family that had been stolen from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Ambassador Bayerli told Russian officials that the medallion was discovered in the course of an Internet auction in Seattle, Washington by investigators from Russia’s Prosecutor General Office. Art experts confirmed the authenticity of the precious artwork, and the US Department of Homeland Security secured the piece before its trip back to Russia. Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia’s Investigative Committee said during Thursday’s handover ceremony in Moscow that the medallion’s recovery was possible due to close cooperation between Russian investigators and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the US Department of Homeland Security. Aleksandr Kibovsky, head of the Russian Federal Surveillance Service for Cultural Heritage Protection, said the starting bid for the rare medallion was $500, “but that price would certainly increase to at least $5000” over the course of the auction, he added. The silver medallion, which carries an engraving of Peter the Great, was delivered to the US embassy in Moscow in October of last year. It was among 221 exhibits stolen from the Hermitage, an event that made front-page news in the summer of 2006. The Hermitage has already recovered 34 of the pieces, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Markin also mentioned at the ceremony that the Russian Federation plans to sign a memorandum of cooperation with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the US Department of Homeland Security.


Seasonal rains in Haiti are aggravating the humanitarian situation caused by the earthquake and putting the populace at increasing risk for mosquito-borne infectious diseases, such as malaria. In response to the urgent health needs of Haitians, many who are still without adequate shelter following the January 12 earthquake, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is providing more than $350,000 in emergency health kits that contain basic medicines, consumable medical supplies for surgeries and wound care treatment. The medical shipment has been underwritten through a grant of $25,000 from The John G. Rangos Sr. Family Charitable Foundation of Pittsburgh, Pa. "There is growing concern among those responding to Haiti of the increased risk of wide-spread public health problems," said Mark Ohanian, IOCC senior programs coordinator, who recently returned from a nine-day trip to Haiti to oversee IOCC relief efforts. "While we continue to support the efforts of our Orthodox Christian and ecumenical partners in providing immediate food, shelter and other basic needs, we witnessed significant threats to public health while in Haiti." Ohanian noted that most open spaces in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding cities have been taken up by temporary shelters, many made of materials scavenged from homes and buildings that were destroyed. "Most of the shelters do not provide adequate protection from the rain or the elements, much less protect against mosquito-borne and water-borne diseases. Proper sanitation and protection are primary concerns for the survivors to prevent further loss of life." The medical shipment is part of a larger effort by IOCC partner, Medical Teams International, to provide up to 20,000 people with basic medical assistance. The shipment will include medications to treat malaria.
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