World of opinion
On prospect of Blair as E. C. president: He is a highly effective British politician with a global profile, the goodwill of the United States and a peerless array of international contacts. For all these reasons, Tony Blair is unlikely to emerge as the first full-time President of the European Council. The 27 heads of government who will gather in Brussels tomorrow find it hard to agree on anything.
But leaders like President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who would be a strutting emperor if this were not ruled out by his physique, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and the obscure prime ministers of Europe’s smaller countries will probably unite around one proposition: they will not wish to be overshadowed by a President Blair.
For once, we rejoice in the small-mindedness of Europe’s leaders. When they eventually come to select the luminary who will chair the European Council of presidents and prime ministers and this may not happen until December they would do us all a favor if they spurned Mr. Blair. …
The case against Mr. Blair is twofold: as […] prime minister, he broke his promise to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, which creates the very post he apparently aspires to hold. …
The second objection is still more important. The powers of this new post are exceedingly vague. Under the Lisbon Treaty, the president will chair the European Council and attend G8 and G20 summits.
In theory, he will be a delegate of the 27 EU leaders, conveying their views to the world. In Mr. Blair’s hands, however, this job would inevitably be enlarged and aggrandized. …
The Daily Telegraph, London
On Radovan Karadzic’s trial:
Slobodan Milosevic, a Serb president and instigator to a number of wars on the Balkans during the 1990’s, died in March 2006, just before the international war tribunal in The Hague could announce its verdict. Through repeated delays and postponements, he dragged on the rights process for more than four years.
It’s uncertain whether Radovan Karadzic is aiming for the same fate, but it’s clear he is intending to use similar tactics…
Karadzic has previously threatened to boycott the process. He’s made it clear that he will handle his own defense and needs more time to prepare – about another two years.
It is indeed a dire task Karadzic has taken upon himself, especially with regard to him swearing his innocence.
The prosecution is massive. It can be summed up in 11 points and includes genocide, crimes against humanity as well as crimes against the rules of war…
But Karadzic hasn’t been lacking time. He has been jailed in The Hague for almost 15 months. Before that, he managed to stay away from the law for 13 years…
Trials against Karadzic and other war criminals on the Balkans are necessary to be able to map out the questions of guilt and responsibility. …
Slobodan Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague before the verdict fell.
In the Radovan Karadzic case, justice will hopefully reach him before death.
Sydsvenska Dagbladet, Malmo, Sweden
On Palestinian-Israeli conflict:
Tension flared up again recently in Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in the Holy City of Jerusalem, when Israeli security forces clashed with Palestinian worshippers, injuring some and forcing scores of others to take refuge in the mosque.
News that some ultra-orthodox Jewish groups plan to worship in the Noble Sanctuary that houses one of Islam’s holiest places, in a bid to lay claim to the Islamic holy sites, no doubt angers the Palestinians.
Continued Israeli excavations in and around the Islamic holy places is only adding to the tension and threatens the eruption of another bloody wave of clashes like the Intifada that was ignited by the visit of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to Al Aqsa compound almost nine years ago.
Under these circumstances, convening a special international conference on Jerusalem would be the right thing to do. …
The Arab League should spearhead calls for a meeting on Jerusalem before the situation there gets out of control. …
Solving the crisis in the Holy City could be the key to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The sooner the international community takes affirmative action on it the closer the parties could get to a peaceful resolution of their broader conflict.
Jordan Times, Amman, Jordan