Russia and Ukraine Lock Horns Over Naval Base - Michael Schwirtz, New York Tines
Medvedev Defends Russia-China Ties - Associated Press
Georgia’s Ruling Party Victory Is Confirmed - C.J. Chivers, New York Times
Georgian Opposition Vows to Boycott Parliament - Reuters
Georgia Opposition Vows Boycott - BBC News
Serbia Withdraws Ambassador from Czech Republic - Associated Press
Clashes in Turkey's Southeast Kills 4 - Associated Press

Russia and Ukraine Lock Horns Over Naval Base

Election Controversy Weakens Georgia

Ukraine President Warns of Russia 'Energy Blackmail'

Russian Arms Depot Fire Set Off Missiles

Coroner: UK's Nimrods 'Should Be Grounded'

Swiss Say They Destroyed Nuke Evidence for Security Reasons

Go-It-Alone France Shifts Military Stance - Molly Moore, Washington Post

International Forces Blur Mission Lines in Kosovo - Michael Evans, London Times
UN Says Russia Downed Georgian Drone - C.J. Chivers, New York Times

EU to Keep Troops in Bosnia over Kosovo Concerns - Associated Press
UN Blames Russia for Downed Drone - C.J. Chivers, New York Times

EU to Seek New Pact with Russia - BBC News
Georgia Demands Russian Apology Over Spy Plane - Reuters
Turkish Court Case Highlights Deep Divide - Laura King, Los Angeles Times

Putin in Paris, not President but Presidential - Steven Erlanger, New York Times
Protests Over Skyrocketing Fuel Prices Spread - Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post
Tight Security for Macedonian Elections - Associated Press
Georgia Suspends Flights over Abkhazia - Associated Press

Putin Backs Abkhazia Autonomy, Russian Troops Sent - Reuters
Macedonians Vote in Crucial Election - Testorides and Becatoros, Washington Times
Troubled Macedonia Goes to Polls - BBC News
Macedonians Vote in Shadow of Violence - Reuters
Putin’s Poodle - Max Boot, Contentions

Macedonia's Prime Minister Declares Victory - Associated Press
PM Claims Win in Macedonian Poll - BBC News
Macedonia PM Wins Election in Shadow of Violence - Reuters
Command Responsibility in Croatia - Phillip Carter, Intel Dump

Putin Opponents Are Made to Vanish From TV - Clifford Levy, New York Times

Mr. Putin has increasingly relied on the Kremlin-controlled TV networks to consolidate power, especially in recent elections. Opponents who were on TV a year or two ago all but vanished during the campaigns, as Mr. Putin won a parliamentary landslide for his party and then installed his protégé, Dmitri A. Medvedev, as his successor. Mr. Putin is now prime minister, but is still widely considered Russia’s leader.

The Rise of Jihadism in Russia - Dimitri Shilapentokh, Armed Forces Journal

When studying the rise of global jihadism, one often sees the term “Islamofascism.” This label is not very workable and emerges not so much as an explanatory model but as a way to make jihadism as repulsive as possible. An appropriate explanatory model would relate the rise of jihadism in Russia and elsewhere not so much with Nazism or fascism as with a revolutionary movement. The rise of Islamic extremism in Russia is indirectly connected with the end of the Soviet Union, which was not just a transition from totalitarianism to political liberty and a self-policed society but also a collapse. Not only state and societal structures but also the very structure of daily interaction between individuals started to change. Analogues to these events can be found in early modern Europe, when the feudal order, with its hierarchical structure and tightly knit groups that both restrained individuals and provided them with a safety net against the vagaries of life, started to fall apart.

Railroading Georgia - Washington Post editorial

When Dmitry Medvedev took office as Russian president last month, some hoped for a moderation of Moscow's increasingly belligerent foreign policy. The key testing point is the obscure region of Abkhazia, a province of Georgia that rebelled in the 1990s and has maintained de facto independence ever since with Russia's support. In April, responding to NATO's ambivalent answer to a request by Georgia for membership, outgoing President Vladimir Putin launched a series of provocations, first announcing closer relations between the Russian government and Abkhazia's separatist regime and then reinforcing a Russian military force in the province. On April 20, Georgia reported that a Russian warplane shot down a Georgian surveillance drone over Abkhazia, a charge confirmed by a UN investigation last week.

Hopes for Court Reform Stir in Russia - Peter Finn, Washington Post

Yelena Valyavina, a senior judge at the Federal Arbitration Court, electrified a Moscow courtroom last month when she stated openly what had long been unspoken, at least by influential insiders: The Kremlin has pressured and threatened the Russian judiciary to secure favorable rulings. The testimony by such a senior judge was cause for some cautious optimism that calls by Russia's new president, Dmitry Medvedev, for an independent court system might actually be genuine. Valyavina's boss, Chief Justice Anton Ivanov, is one of Medvedev's oldest and closest associates, and that connection was lost on no one.

Airbrushed by the Kremlin, Again - New York Times editorial

Years ago, Soviet news agencies grew to be experts in removing unwanted comrades from official photographs. People disappeared in the developing rooms just as they disappeared in real life, and early group photos with Stalin often contracted into a picture of the Soviet dictator standing alone. That grim history makes what’s happening today on Russia’s national television networks all the more chilling.

Scarf Dispute Exposes Divide - Nicholas Birch, Washington Times

Two reformist theologians have taken Turkey's most famous Islamic clothes designer to court for exploiting religion, in a case highlighting tensions between political Islam and Turkey's market economy. Dubbed "Allah's tailor" by the press, Mustafa Karaduman long ago earned the wrath of Turkish secularists for his successful mass-marketing of the brightly colored head scarves and ankle-length coats that have become a trademark of conservative urban women.

Slovenia Is First Stop On Bush's Final Tour - Dan Eggen, Washington Post

President Bush opened a farewell tour of Europe on Monday night in this tiny, picturesque nation, which is basking in its status as the current head of the European Union and the most successful state to emerge from the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Home to just 2 million people, the alpine country is hosting this week's annual summit between the United States and the 27-nation European Union. The two sides will debate such issues as the Iranian nuclear program and a ban on US poultry imports, though officials expect few firm agreements. Slovenia and some of its neighbors are urging the United States to ease visa restrictions on former Communist bloc nations.

Pentagon: Russia Strengthening Nuclear Arsenal - Kristin Roberts, Reuters

Russia appears focused on strengthening its nuclear capabilities rather than building up its regular armed forces, which makes maintaining the US nuclear arsenal increasingly important, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Monday. The Pentagon chief, speaking to Air Force officers in Virginia, said America's need for nuclear weapons to deter potential enemies from striking would grow in the future.

A Robust Atlantic Alliance - Matthew Kaminski, Wall Street Journal opinion

George W. Bush's five-country farewell tour of Europe this week has Pavlov's pundits barking. In Britain's Guardian newspaper, Timothy Garton Ash distills the conventional wisdom that "so much of the [post-9/11] dust-up [with Europe] had to do with Bush himself: his unilateralism, his obsession with Iraq, his cowboy style, his incompetence." Not since Ronald Reagan has America had a less "European" president. Such bad press plays into the election-year narrative of friends lost and alliances tarnished in the Bush era. So how's this for an inconvenient truth: This American president will bequeath his successor an alliance with Europe as robust and healthy as at any time in the post-Cold War period.

Fuel Prices Halt 3 French Naval Missions - Gaelle Faure, Associated Press

The French navy canceled three summer missions Monday because of soaring fuel prices - including a counternarcotics exercise off the United States. The ripple effects of spiraling fuel prices are also being felt in Spain, where truckers and fishermen are striking in protest. "All of our missions are important, but we had to cut those that were least crucial," said navy spokesman Pascal Subtil.

Who Is the Real Leader of Russia?

Elizabeth A. Wood, MIT Center for International Studies

Russia's troubled history suggests that Medvedev will probably be more of a figurehead than a real president.

Spain Arrests 8, Aided a Qaeda-Linked Cell - Elaine Sciolino, New York Times

The Spanish police on Tuesday arrested eight men suspected of giving financial and logistical support to a terrorist group in Algeria linked to Al Qaeda, Spain’s Interior Ministry said. The antiterrorist investigation involved arrests in Barcelona, Pamplona and the northeastern province of Castellón. The eight suspects are Algerian-born and range from 27 to 39 years old. They are believed to be affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings last December against United Nations and government offices in Algiers that killed 41 people, including 17 United Nations staff members.

Putin Pledges Conventional Weapons Funds - Denis Dyomkin, Reuters

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday promised the military sufficient funds to maintain battle readiness with its conventional weapons purchases. Putin met with government ministers, including deputies Igor Sechin and Sergey Ivanov, and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin to discuss military defense budget indicators for 2009-11.

A Dark Corner of Europe - Michael Totten, Middle East Journal

Sarajevo can be startling for first-time visitors. Shattered buildings, walls riddled with bullet holes, and mass graveyards are shocking things to see in a European capital in the 21st Century. The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina was more violent than the others in the former Yugoslavia, and it shows. If I believed in ghosts I'd say Sarajevo must be one haunted place. At the same time, the reconstruction and cleanup work is impressive. The destruction gave me a jolt, but at the same time I was slightly surprised I didn't see more of it.

Crossroads - Richard Fernandez, The Belmont Club

Michael Totten reports from Sarajevo. Sarajevo has largely recovered from the physical scars of the 1990s battles. The one thing that has changed - ripped apart by ethnic powerplays - is the easy sort of intercommunal tolerance of 30 years ago. In its place is a simplified map consisting of more or less homogenous ethnic groups. It's as if the ingredients in a stew suddenly agglomerated themselves together until you had lumps instead of a mix.

Russia Rebuilding Superpower Military - Martin Sieff, United Press International

Gen. Nikolai Makarov has replaced tough, old Gen. Yury Baluyevsky as the chief of staff of Russia's armed forces and has been tasked with rapidly modernizing them. Despite all the stories of a run-down and demoralized military that regularly appear in the Western media, Russia's armed forces remain the most powerful and effective land force across all of Eurasia. They don't have enough modern equipment. But what they do have is state-of-the-art, especially in main battle tanks, heavy artillery and close ground tactical air support. Their multiple-launch rocket mortar forces are without parallel in any other armed force in the world. However, modernization has not been going remotely as fast as former Russian president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin would like.

Medvedev Qualifies Optimism Over US Relations - Peter Finn, Washington Post

In some of his first comments on future U.S.-Russia relations, President Dmitry Medvedev struck an optimistic note Wednesday but reiterated Russia's objections to further eastward expansion by the NATO alliance and to the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe. "Russia is ready for constructive, comradely dialogue with the new U.S. administration," Medvedev told delegates at an international congress of the Russian-language press in Moscow. "Russia and the United States have an enormous responsibility to uphold international stability and security... On the whole, I'm reasonably optimistic about our relations."

EU, UN Roles Hazy in Kosovo's New Era - Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times

Days before the West begins one of the most ambitious nation-building experiments in modern history, profound questions remain about how the day-to-day governance of Kosovo will be handled. Kosovo now has its own government. But the UN mission that effectively ruled the former province of Serbia since 1999 is still here. The country's new constitution, which takes effect Sunday, envisions no role for the United Nations, because that would imply lack of sovereignty, but it authorizes the European Union to help run Kosovo.

Police Arrest Serb War Crimes Fugitive - Slobodan Lekic, Associated Press

Serbian police on Wednesday arrested one of the four remaining war crimes fugitives wanted by the UN tribunal in the Netherlands. Suspect Stojan Zupljanin was arrested in the vicinity of Belgrade, Serbia's war crimes prosecution spokesman Bruno Vekaric told The Associated Press. Serbian television said the arrest was made in an apartment in Pancevo, a town 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the capital. Zupljanin, 57, was a Bosnian Serb police commander during the 1992-95 civil war. The UN tribunal wants him on charges of crimes against humanity for overseeing Serb-run prison camps.

Irish Wielding an Outsize Power - Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post

Ireland cast ballots Thursday on a treaty overhauling the European Union, in a referendum that by a fluke of constitutional law gives 3 million Irish voters a big say in the future lives of nearly 500 million Europeans. For the Lisbon Treaty to go into force, all 27 E.U. nations must approve it. In 26 of those countries, the decision is up to politicians, where support is solid. Only Ireland is bound by its constitution to put it to the citizens -- and many of them are by tradition proudly contrarian. Polls taken as the vote neared showed the issue too close to call, but with the "no" vote gaining steam.

Bush Warns Allies Against Divisions - Elizabeth Bryant, Washington Times

President Bush made a passionate appeal for trans-Atlantic unity Friday, urging Europe and the United States to work together in areas ranging from securing peace and stability in the Middle East, to promoting democracy and curbing climate change. "Instead of dwelling on our differences, we are increasingly united on our interests and ideals," Mr. Bush said during a keynote speech at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Praising leaders from Italy, Germany, France and Britain - all of whom he has met or will meet during his current European trip - he added, "I see a commitment to a powerful and purposeful Europe that advances the values of liberty within its borders and beyond."

Ireland Signs Death Warrant - Sharrock and Charter, Times of London

Irish voters tore up the European Union’s blueprint for the future yesterday in a dramatic and decisive rejection of the Lisbon treaty. The result leaves Brussels’ plans to streamline EU power - creating a president and foreign minister and reducing the influence for smaller countries such as Ireland - in tatters. The 53.4 per cent “no” vote should in theory sign the death warrant of the treaty, which has been eight years in the making, since it requires ratification by all 27 members. Gordon Brown faced immediate calls to scrap British ratification.

Ireland Shoots Down Plan for More Unified EU - Kevin Sullivan, Washington Post

Irish voters resoundingly rejected a treaty designed to modernize the European Union, the second time in three years that European voters have shot down a complex proposal to create more authority and world influence at the bloc's Brussels headquarters. By defeating the Lisbon Treaty 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent in a national referendum Thursday, fewer than a million Irish voters scuttled a document that would have deeply affected the lives of nearly 500 million Europeans in the 27 member nations.

Ireland Derails EU Bid - Lyall and Castle, New York Times

Europe was thrown into political turmoil on Friday by Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, a painstakingly negotiated blueprint for consolidating the European Union’s power and streamlining its increasingly unwieldy bureaucracy. The defeat of the treaty, by a margin of 53.4 percent to 46.6 percent, was the result of a highly organized “no” campaign that had played to Irish voters’ deepest visceral fears about the European Union. For all its benefits, many people in Ireland and in Europe feel that the union is remote, undemocratic and ever more inclined to strip its smaller members of the right to make their own laws and decide their own future.

No 10 Admits EU Treaty is Finished - Oliver and Smith, Times of London

Gordon Brown is privately ready to sacrifice the Lisbon treaty rather than allow the Irish no vote to create a two-tier Europe. Despite the Irish referendum, France, Germany and senior Brussels officials have insisted there should be no delay in implementing the European Union blueprint. But No 10 sources say the prime minister would rather see the entire constitutional treaty collapse than allow individual member states to be left trailing in a two-speed Europe.

France Urges Pursuing EU Treaty - Reuters

French President Nicolas Sarkozy led calls Saturday for the European Union to press on with ratifying its new treaty, but Ireland's "no" vote revived talk of pro-European capitals forming their own club. Sarkozy said the rejection of the pact in a referendum Thursday should not spark a crisis and confirmed that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had assured him he that would defy Euroskeptics and pursue its endorsement. "Today, 18 European states have ratified. The others must continue to ratify . . . so that this Irish incident does not become a crisis," Sarkozy said at a news conference with President Bush in Paris.

UN Hands Over to Kosovo Albanians - BBC News

A new constitution has come into force in Kosovo, after the territory declared independence from Serbia in February. Majority ethnic Albanian authorities will now run the territory although it remains unclear who will oversee Kosovo's Serb-dominated areas. Under the new constitution, which came into force at midnight on Sunday, Kosovo's government assumes many of the powers held up till now by the UN. The European Union is to deploy several missions to the territory and will take on a supervisory role in a move opposed by Serbia and Russia.

Check of the Irish - Washington Times editorial

The sky over Europe is not falling. That's the bottom line of Ireland's rejection Thursday of the Lisbon Treaty. Of the 27 European Union member states, Ireland, the only to require a popular referendum, has usefully tested an otherwise very insulated, elite-driven expansion of EU power. It has rejected the best-laid plans of Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso and allies. At this point, the EU should realize that its long-term prospects require it to acknowledge the legitimate objections of real, actual voters. This, of course, was the same lesson that went unheeded in 2005, when France and the Netherlands issued comparable "No" votes to the EU Constitution, killing it.

In Europe, a Slide Toward Irrelevance - Robert Kagan, Washington Post opinion

A mere two years ago, the British author and thinker Mark Leonard published a book titled "Why Europe Will Run the 21st Century." Today, one wonders to what degree Europe will even participate in the 21st century. It's not just the deadly blow struck by Ireland's rejection Thursday of the Lisbon Treaty reorganizing the European Union. I've spent six of the past eight years in the capital of the European Union, and I've noticed over this period a steady loss of self-confidence in Europe, a turning inward and a growing pessimism about the future. For all the focus on the ills of the American economy, few Europeans feel they are about to inherit the world. Germany's economy is riding high these days, but it is exceptional, and even Germans fear it may be temporary. The pleasure Europeans take in the weak dollar and the high euro is a welcome distraction from deeply rooted fears that the Asian giants are overtaking and out-competing Europe in the international economy. Europe's big neighbor also causes angst. Every day some European official pleads for a common energy policy to confront predatory Russian monopolists, but every day the Russians cut a new deal favoring one European interest at the expense of another.

Bush in London for Talks With Brown - Paula Wolfson, Voice of America

US President George Bush is in London for talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. On Monday they will travel to Northern Ireland. Their formal talks are expected to center on Iran and Iraq, as well as trade and environmental concerns, and the evolution of the Northern Ireland peace process. President Bush arrived in London amid reports the British government may set a deadline to withdraw its troops from Iraq. At the same time, a British newspaper published an interview with Mr. Bush in which he warned against setting an arbitrary time table, saying any withdrawals must be based on success in the field.

Europe Powers Vow to Push on Without Irish - The Australian

Germany and France moved to isolate Ireland from the European Union yesterday, vowing to press ahead with a major EU reform treaty despite Ireland's shock rejection of the blueprint. The referendum result against the Lisbon treaty on Friday pitched the 27-nation European Union into turmoil because the document, which aims to streamline EU decision-making after recent expansion, has to be approved by all states. Ireland voted "no" by 53.4 per cent to 46.6 per cent in a major embarrassment to Prime Minister Brian Cowen, who led the "yes" vote. Turnout was 53 per cent, higher than expected. Despite the Irish referendum, France, Germany and senior Brussels officials have insisted there should be no delay in implementing the European Union blueprint.

An Irish Education - Wall Street Journal editorial

Irish voters struck a blow for democracy in Europe by stopping a power play by the Continent's political elites. Now the question is whether it is Brussels or the Irish that will be asked to reconsider their position. On the ballot Thursday in Ireland was the Lisbon Treaty, which European Union grandees in Brussels pitched as a tidying-up exercise to make the bloc's institutions work better. Most everyone else saw Lisbon for what it really was: An attempt to sneak through a dolled-up version of the failed "EU Constitution." That constitution was hailed as Europe's entrée to a US-size presence on the world stage, complete with a nonelected president and a beefier defense and foreign policy. It was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Rather than respect that decision, Brussels simply made cosmetic changes and asked governments not to put such a major EU overhaul before voters.

Celtic Snub to the EU - The Australian editorial

The message of Ireland's resounding rejection of the Lisbon treaty to reform and expand the powers of the European Union should not be lost on Kevin Rudd. Ireland has benefited more than most countries from membership of the EU, creating the Celtic tiger economy, but last week's referendum was a clear expression of where its public wants to draw the line. It also highlighted how out of touch the Continent's political elite are. The lessons for our Prime Minister as he tries to replicate the EU model in the Asia-Pacific region are clear. An APEC-style union that facilitates trade, investment, security dialogue and technical co-operation is one thing, but a body that involves giving up any aspect of national sovereignty is a different matter entirely. After being lectured by two former Labor prime ministers, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, on why it's better to strengthen APEC rather than adopt an EU-style plan for the Asia-Pacific, Mr Rudd now has the spectacle of Irish voters calling a halt to 50 years of creeping federalism in Europe.

Europe After Lisbon - Anand Menon, Wall Street Journal opinion

On Friday the 13th (of June), the news came through: The Irish had rejected the EU's Lisbon Treaty. Prophets of doom were quick to emerge, predicting that the demise of the treaty would mean the end of civilization - or at least of the EU - as we know it. Particular concerns were voiced about the Union's international ambitions. Lisbon, after all, was designed largely as a means of enhancing the effectiveness of its security and defense policies. Such fears are misinformed and misplaced. Lisbon's demise will have relatively little direct impact on the Union's ability to play a role on the world stage.

Kosovo Takes Control With Little Fanfare - David Charter, Times of London

Kosovo’s Government adopted its new constitution yesterday in a low-key ceremony intended to mark the handover of UN administrative power to Pristina and the EU. The move was intended to cement the country’s independence and to complete the break-up of the former Yugoslavia after the conflicts of the 1990s. But Belgrade, backed by Moscow, insisted that it would never recognise Kosovo’s breakaway status, heightening fears of partition between the Serb-dominated north and the ethnic Albanians who make up about 95 per cent of the population.

Kosovo’s New Constitution Takes Effect - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

This former Serbian province’s new Constitution came into force on Sunday, an important milestone on its path toward full-fledged statehood. But a dispute over who has authority threatens to destabilize the newborn country and to plunge the Balkans into crisis. The Constitution envisions handing over executive power to the majority ethnic Albanian government from the United Nations, which has administered Kosovo since NATO intervened in 1999 to halt Slobodan Milosevic’s repression of ethnic Albanians. The province declared its independence from Serbia four months ago, the culmination of a long and bloody struggle for national self-determination.

Kosovo's Government Takes Control - Nebi Qena, Associated Press

Kosovo's government took control of the newly independent nation Sunday as the country's constitution went into force after nine years of UN administration. The charter - a milestone that comes four months after leaders declared independence from Serbia - gives the government in Pristina sole decision-making authority.

Serbs Form Rival Kosovo Assembly - BBC News

Serbia has defied the entry into force of a new Kosovo constitution by setting up a new parliament for minority Serbs. Slobodan Samardzic, the minister for Kosovo in the outgoing Belgrade government, made the announcement in the divided northern town of Mitrovica. Kosovo's new constitution ends nine years of UN rule, and hands power to the ethnic Albanian majority. It comes four months after Kosovo's declaration of independence, backed by the West but opposed by Russia. Kosovo's minority Serbs insist the new constitution will not apply to them.

Row in Italy Over Army Deployment - BBC News

A political row has broken out in Italy over the government's decision to deploy troops on the streets of major Italian cities to fight against crime. About 2,500 soldiers are to be deployed for a maximum period of one year. The opposition has described the move as a mistake. "We are not in Colombia," said opposition MP Antonio di Pietro. The police say it will not work - the government's decision is tantamount to saying they are not up to the task of maintaining law and order.

Defense Policy: France Joins Allies - Erlanger and Beinnhold, New York Times

In its first new national defense policy in 14 years, France has decided that its security lies within Europe and the NATO alliance, establishing a significant shift from the country’s longstanding notions of moral and military self-sufficiency. More than four decades ago, Gen. Charles de Gaulle, angry with American and British domination of NATO, said that France’s military integration into the alliance had been “stripped of justification.” But now that the Soviet Union is gone and the European Union is more fully established, President Nicolas Sarkozy has decided that France is best served by participating fully with Washington and NATO, in part because the vast majority of members of the European Union are also members of the alliance.

France Plans Smaller, Harder-hitting Army - Tamora Vidaillet, Reuters

France aims to create a smaller, more mobile and better equipped army, able to respond to threats ranging from terrorism to cyber attacks, under plans to be formally presented by President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday. A government policy document outlines plans to trim the fat from the military, spend more on equipment and pay greater attention to intelligence and home security, while maintaining France's independent nuclear deterrent.

NATO Head Assures Ukrainians Over Membership - Ron Popeski, Reuters

NATO's secretary general, visiting Ukraine to bolster thin public support for joining the Alliance, said on Monday that membership would in no way oblige the country to host foreign bases or send soldiers off to war. NATO'S Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko also said Ukrainian membership would not harm the interests of neighboring Russia, with which many Ukrainians have close ties and which objects to Kiev moving closer to the alliance.

EU Vows to Pursue Lisbon Treaty - BBC News

EU foreign ministers have agreed to keep the Lisbon reform treaty alive despite its rejection by Irish voters. The ministers said those EU members who have not yet ratified the treaty should carry on and do so. The ministers have been meeting in Luxembourg ahead of a two-day summit in Brussels, starting on Thursday, that is expected to chart the way ahead.

Exploiting Anne Frank - Alvin Rosenfeld, Weekly Standard opinion

In January, a stenciled image of a smiling Anne Frank wearing a red and white kaffiyeh appeared on the walls of buildings in Amsterdam. Soon after, an enterprising Dutch business firm called Boomerang transferred this image to designer T-shirts and postcards. The cards were distributed free throughout the Netherlands, no doubt to boost sales for Boomerang's politically chic new line of shirts. But it was a risky marketing move to promote a product featuring the face of Amsterdam's most famous martyr made over to look like Yasser Arafat's daughter. The Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands expressed outrage. So did Dutch Jewish organizations. But that response was not universal. Some were drawn to the newfangled Palestinian Anne Frank and endorsed the artist's political point, which one blogger interpreted to be that "the Zionists, in the name of Jewry, [were] doing to the Palestinians what was done to Jews in Europe." This simplistic formula has become a staple in the rhetoric of contemporary anti-Zionism. The charge it makes is baseless, but it is rhetorically catchy and now routinely employed to tar Israel with the Nazi brush

. Secularism, Democracy, and Turkey - H.D.S. Greenway, Boston Globe opinion

Stephen Kinzer, in his book "Crescent and Star, Turkey Between Two Worlds," wrote that if "isiklal" (freedom) was his favorite Turkish word, "devlet" was his least favorite. Devlet means state in the dictionary, but it goes far beyond that. It is an "omnipotent entity that stands above every citizen and every institution," Kinzer wrote. "It is a self-perpetuating elite - the generals, police chiefs, prosecutors, judges, political bosses, and press barons who decide what devlet demands. . . . This elite has written many laws to help it do what it perceives as its duty, and when necessary it acts outside the law." Today, democracy in Turkey is imperiled by devlet. Recently, the constitutional court struck down the Turkish Parliament's decision to allow girls to wear headscarves in state universities. Parliament is controlled by an Islamic-leaning government, under Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is committed to maintaining a secular state. Ironically, his government is more democratic than the devlet will allow. Partly because of headscarves, there is another case before the courts that would shut down his political party, and ban its leaders from politics for endangering Kemalist principles.

Sarkozy Marches France Back to NATO - Charles Bremner, Times of London

Four decades after President de Gaulle broke with the NATO command President Sarkozy announced France's return to the heart of the alliance - with conditions on EU defence that may unsettle Britain. Setting out a big shift in doctrine and spending yesterday, France's most pro-Atlanticist President said that nothing prevented a return to the integrated command from which de Gaulle withdrew in 1966 in dispute with the United States. “In Europe, nearly all our partners are members of the alliance. They do not understand why we persist in standing apart,” he said. The return to NATO would come as France cuts 50,000 military posts to reduce forces to 225,000 personnel, while diverting funds to new equipment and expanded intelligence systems.

Major Reassessment of Defense Policies - Molly Moore, Washington Post

President Nicolas Sarkozy Tuesday announced a major new defense policy that would integrate French troops into the command structure of the NATO alliance for the first time in more than four decades. Sarkozy also proposed a leaner military with fewer troops and bases, a slow-down in the deployment of expensive aircraft and warships and more money for intelligence-gathering satellites and other equipment needed to fight terrorism, cyber-crime and drug trafficking on French territory. The new military doctrine, the first major reassessment of the country's defense policies in 14 years, reflects the realities of shrinking military budgets and changing security threats. It also underscores Sarkozy's efforts to mend rifts with the United States and his European neighbors.

France: Aux Armes - Times of London editorial

Cutting the strength of the French Army by 24 per cent seems, on first sight, an odd way of modernising France's armed forces when Afghanistan and the demands of peacekeeping are straining the military capabilities of most NATO members. But President Sarkozy's ambitious proposals, outlined to 3,000 officers yesterday in the first major review of military strategy in 14 years, are as sensible as they are far-reaching. The military aim is to make the French Army leaner, supplied with better intelligence and modern weaponry and more focused on today's terrorist threats rather than the Cold War danger of conflict in Europe. But there is also a significant shift in defence doctrine. France is reconfiguring its armed forces with the intention of rejoining NATO's unified military command and boosting the European Union's role in defence. More than 40 years after France gave NATO notice to quit Paris, Mr Sarkozy has told his allies and his countrymen that the Gaullist dream of military independence is over.

France’s Military Contribution - Max Boot, Contentions

It’s nice that France is rejoining the military arm of NATO, but how much of a contribution can it make given that it continues to spend so little on its armed forces? Granted France has the second highest defense budget in Europe (behind the United Kingdom), but that’s not saying much, considering that all of the European states have let their militaries wither in recent years.

Europe, an Irrelevant Greek Chorus? - Westhawk, Westhawk

Mr. Robert Kagan’s essay from Sunday’s Washington Post is worth reading. Mr. Kagan is a former U.S. State Department official who has spent much of this decade in Brussels (his wife is a US ambassador). From that perch, he has been able to observe at close hand the reaction of Europe’s elite to the challenges presented by Russia, China, the Middle East, and, not least, the Bush administration.

Rules on Illegal Immigrants Are Approved - Molly Moore, Washington Post

The European Parliament approved new rules Wednesday designed to standardize the dramatic differences in member countries' treatment of illegal immigrants, whose presence is one of the most heated political issues in Europe today. The measure, which would allow countries to jail illegal immigrants for as long as 18 months pending deportation, was decried by human rights organizations as promoting excessive detention. Supporters defended it as providing greater protections for the foreigners in countries that now permit indefinite detentions and grant detainees few legal rights.

EU Passes Tough Migrant Measure - Caroline Brothers, New York Times

European Union lawmakers voted Wednesday to allow undocumented migrants to be held in detention centers for up to 18 months and banned from European Union territory for five years. Criticized by groups like Amnesty International as “severely flawed” and an erosion of human rights standards, the so-called return directive was passed in the European Parliament here by a 369-to-197 vote, with 106 legislators abstaining. Manfred Weber, the German center-right legislator from Bavaria who shepherded the measure through Parliament, said that it provided minimum common standards for the treatment of migrants throughout the European Union while still showing citizens it was tough on illegality.

Britain Green Light to Crippled EU Treaty - Francis Elliott, Times of London

Gordon Brown cleared the final hurdle of the race to complete Britain’s ratification of the EU reform treaty last night after a last-ditch effort to delay it failed in the House of Lords. Protesters had to be cleared from the public gallery as the six-month parliamentary passage of the Bill to ratify the Lisbon treaty reached a dramatic conclusion. Opponents had sought to delay its completion by four months in the wake of the Irish referendum, arguing that the “no” vote had dealt the treaty a fatal blow.

Lithuania Eyed as Missile Shield Host - Judy Dempsey, New York Times

Poland is balking at further negotiations with the United States over plans to deploy an anti-ballistic missile shield, prompting Washington to seek out Lithuania, formerly part of the Soviet Union, as a possible alternate location, officials said Wednesday. The American approach to Lithuania is likely to stir fresh tensions with Russia, which has already threatened to take measures if Washington deploys the shield’s missile interceptors in Poland and its radarsin the Czech Republic. Both are NATO countries that once belonged to the defunct, Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.

Charges in Death of Russian Reporter - Peter Finn, Washington Post

Three men were charged Wednesday with involvement in the October 2006 killing of investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, but investigators said nothing about who ordered the assassination or why. A man formally identified by authorities last month as the shooter remains at large, as does the unknown person who organized the murder. Politkovskaya, a critic of the Kremlin known for crusading reports on human rights abuses in Chechnya, was shot in the lobby of her apartment building in central Moscow as she was returning home with groceries. Police immediately described it as a contract killing. The murder weapon was dropped beside the body.

Georgian Authorities Free Russian Peacekeepers - Associated Press

Georgian authorities on Wednesday released four Russian peacekeepers who were detained on charges of carrying unauthorized weapons to a buffer zone near the breakaway region of Abkhazia. Georgian officials said they would keep the load of anti-tank missiles they seized from the Russians late Tuesday. Local Gov. Zaza Gorozia said the Russians were not authorized to take the weapons into the area. Abkhazia has been a source of tension for Russia and Georgia for more than a decade, and the seizure of the weapons only served to escalate the spat and prompted the presidents of the two countries to talk by telephone Wednesday.

UN Srebrenica Immunity Questioned - BBC News

A Dutch court is considering whether the UN can be sued for failing to prevent the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995. About 6,000 relatives of those killed have brought a case against the UN and the Dutch government over the killings. Dutch peacekeepers, under a UN flag, failed to intervene as Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys in one week in July 1995. The enclave had been designated a UN safe haven. The UN has refused to take part in the case, claiming immunity - a position backed by the Dutch government.

Turkish Regress - Wall Street Journal editorial

Turkey's soccer team scored three goals in the last 15 minutes against the Czechs the other night to make the quarterfinals of the European championship. Now if only miracles happened in Turkish politics. The country needs one to get out of its latest self-inflicted crisis. For the second time in a year, a clash between the old secular establishment and an elected government with roots in Islam has split and paralyzed Turkey. Tensions look bound to escalate, putting the Muslim world's strongest democracy in peril.

Defying US, EU Scraps Cuba Sanctions - Melander and Brunnstrom, Reuters

European Union states agreed on Thursday to scrap sanctions against Cuba but will insist the Communist island improves its human rights record, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said. The decision, taken despite US calls for the world to remain tough on Havana, will be reviewed after one year, EU sources said.

Life in Putin's Russia - Julia Latynina, Washington Post opinion

The most striking thing about everyday life in the Russia of Vladimir Putin (and make no mistake, it is Putin's Russia, despite the election of a new president, hand-picked by the great man) is the incredible corruption of the courts, the police, the special forces -- all the institutions that are supposed to uphold law and order in a democracy and that in Russia today have been transformed into a cancer that's devouring the state.

Sarkozy Woos NATO - Baptiste Etchegaray, Washington Times

The decision by French President Nicholas Sarkozy to rejoin NATO's military command has reopened a sensitive debate over the country's strategic independence, a hallmark of French foreign policy since France left NATO's integrated command in 1966. At the time, then-President Charles de Gaulle sought to distance France from an alliance that was increasingly dominated by the United States. Mr. Sarkozy reversed course last week.

UN Chief Signals Shift on Kosovo - Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor

For 16 months, Russia and the West have been a bit eyeball-to-eyeball in the United Nations Security Council over the status of Kosovo. But to borrow Dean Rusk's famous phrase during the 1963 Cuban missile crisis, it appears that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has just blinked. Mr. Ban's concession on Friday appeared to brush aside Russia's objections and clear the way to end the nine-year "UNMIK" mission in Kosovo. Last week, Pristina authorities inked a milestone constitution, following a February declaration of independence. For much of the past nine years, Kosovars described themselves as bystanders in their own fate; the future of this gritty city was controlled by Moscow, Washington, Brussels, and New York. A UN departure may begin to change that.

Unexpected Peace - Hugh Pope, Wall Street Journal opinion

Nobody has ever lost money betting on the failure of the Cyprus peace process. But this year, the best chance in decades to end this conflict has quietly crept up on local and international policy makers, and the European Union now has one last opportunity to undo past mistakes. The first to switch direction were the Turkish Cypriots and Turkey, both eager to get closer to the EU. In 2004, the 250,000 Turkish Cypriots voted out their hard-line leader, Rauf Denktash, and agreed to the so-called Annan Plan, a United Nations-mediated, EU-approved plan for a new Cyprus federation and a Turkish troop pullout. The troops have been in place since 1974, when the Turkish military invaded the island's northern part to head off a planned Greek Cypriot coup designed to unite the island with Greece.

Genghis Putin - Michael Auslin, Wall Street Journal opinion

While Washington continues to fixate on Iraq, a resurgent Russia is steadily expanding its influence in Eurasia. If the next American president ignores Moscow's inroads, democratic development in Asia will come under threat and the United States may soon be faced with a strategic challenge in one of the world's most resource-rich regions. Russia's main target of late is Mongolia, one of Asia's most vibrant democracies. Since first holding elections in 1990, Mongolia has developed a stable electoral system with more than 15 political parties and seen two peaceful handovers of power. Mongolians will vote on June 29 to elect a new parliament. Polls suggest the ruling ex-Communist Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, which regained power in 2000, could lose power to the opposition Democratic Party.

Russia joins the war in Afghanistan

With its profound hindsight into its former performance in Afghanistan, it is strange that Russia is again wading into its southern neighbor by agreeing to supply weapons to the Afghan army in the fight against the Taliban. Moscow is looking at the bigger picture, though. It has put the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the defensive and sidestepped United States-led (and Chinese) efforts to undercut its influence in Central Asia. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jun 24, '08)

Test of strength for alliances
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's expansion to encircle Russia with allies and bases is tempered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which embraces a quarter of the world's population. The Shanghai grouping, led by Moscow and Beijing, has, however, yet to evolve into a political alliance. - Conn Hallinan (Jun 24,

Belarus Cracks Down on Internet News - Associated Press

Belarussian lawmakers gave final approval on Tuesday to a crackdown on Internet journalism. The new measures require that all Internet sites originating in the country be registered with the government. Many independent newspapers that the authorities closed now have a presence on the Internet.

Russian Flights Smack of Cold War - Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times

Russian bombers have stepped up provocative flight exercises off the Alaskan coast, reminiscent of Cold War incursions designed to rattle US air defenses. US Northern Command, which protects North American airspace, told The Washington Times that TU-95 Bear bombers on 18 occasions the past year have skirted a 12-mile air defense identification zone that protects Alaska. The incursions prompted F-15s and F-22 Raptor fighters to scramble from Elmendorf Air Force Base and intercept the warplanes. The last incident happened in May.


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/j...ck-of-cold-war/

Chechnya Neighbor Could Suffer Same Fate - Michael Shwirtz, New York Times

Though violence in Chechnya has decreased markedly in recent years, fighting between Muslim insurgents and Russian troops threatens to engulf a neighboring region, a human rights group said in a report released on Wednesday. The group, Human Rights Watch, asserted that a recent spike in insurgent attacks in the region, Ingushetia, has provoked a spate of kidnappings, torture and arbitrary killings of innocent civilians by law enforcement reminiscent of earlier rights abuses in Chechnya.

Avoiding War - Yalowitz and Courtney, Christian Science Monitor opinion

Russia may be provoking a war with Georgia in a territorial dispute over Abkhazia. Some say Moscow's provocations are merely an effort to prevent Georgia from joining NATO, which it was promised at the alliance's summit in Bucharest this April. But a war between these two countries would threaten security in the volatile Caucasus and eastern Black Sea region and the booming exports of Caspian energy through Georgia, adding pressure to already sky-high oil prices throughout the world. It would also endanger US and NATO security interests in an area not far removed from the Middle East.

How Putin Muzzled Russia's Press - Garry Kasparov, Wall Street Journal opinion

"How come I am still alive? When I really think about it, it's a miracle." Several years back so spoke Anna Politkovskaya, the late Russian investigative journalist who for years fearlessly explored the depths of war-ravaged Chechnya. She is now the subject of the documentary "Letter to Anna" by Swiss director Eric Bergkraut. The film premiered in the U.S. last night at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York. Politkovskaya reported conversations with families ripped apart by war. She was also the voice of Russian soldiers who were ashamed of the atrocities committed in their country's name. Her work made her the enemy of many powerful people, and on Oct. 7, 2006, the 48-year-old was gunned down in the foyer of her apartment building.

How Putin Muzzled Russia's Press - Garry Kasparov, Wall Street Journal
How Kosovo Created Its Liberal Islam - Michael Totten, Middle East Journal
Europe's Slide Toward Irrelevance - Robert Kagan, Intl Herald Tribune
A Populist Future for Mexico? - Georgie Anne Geyer, Washington Times
Britain's Shameful Foreign Policy - Matthew Norman, The Independent

Russia & Her Neighbors

Medvedev, Like Putin, Criticizes US Missile Plan

Russians and EU to Seek New Pact

Russian Shift: A European Charm Campaign

Ingushetia's Forces Accused of Abuses

Militants, Police Slain in Russia's Volatile South - Associated Press

Russian officials say five militants and four police have been killed and four more people wounded in the violence-plagued south. The local interior ministry says police killed three suspected militants, including a woman, in Dagestan province Saturday. A police spokesman in neighboring Chechnya says that a clash in the province left two militants and four police dead, and four more police wounded.

Judgment for Turkey's Ruling Party - Suna Erdem, Times of London

Turkey's top court will hear a case this week to shut down the ruling party for alleged Islamist activities, a fate that could halt its hard-won European Union membership process. The indictment against the Justice and Development Party (AK) rests heavily on government proposals to allow girls to wear the Muslim headscarf at university. A recent separate ruling scrapping that move increases the likelihood of the government party being shut down. AK party members are pessimistic and are said to be preparing for the worst.

Turks Court Disaster - Times of London editorial

Turkey's constitutional court opens a case today that will have momentous, and possibly disastrous, consequences not only for Turkey but also for much of the Muslim world. It is a case that could end Turkish hopes of joining the European Union for ever and transform one of the West's most vibrant strategic allies into a feuding and embittered society, torn between military repression and Islamic fervour. For what the court is attempting to decide is whether Islam is compatible with secular democracy. If it rules that the present Islamist Government has undermined Atatürk's constitution, it will declare the entire ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party illegal and order the dissolution of one of Turkey's most popular and successful governments. If that should happen, Islamist parties throughout the Muslim world may turn their backs on democracy, arguing that, since secularists will never accept them, they should ignore the democratic process and seize power.

17 Shot When Live Ammo Used in Military Display - AFP

Seventeen people were injured when soldiers fired live bullets instead of blanks during a military display in France's southwest. Fifteen civilians and two soldiers were injured in the incident, of which details remained unclear late Sunday, involving a demonstration by members of a marine parachute regiment of hostage liberation exercises, the regional authority said. Four of the 17 were seriously injured, with two described as critical following "incomprehensible" scenes at the barracks near Carcassone, in the country's southwest. According to local authorities, five children were among the injured.

France's Military About-Face - Christian Science Monitor editorial

He may not have de Gaulle's physical stature, but President Nicolas Sarkozy is standing up to Le Général's long-obeyed policy of military independence for France. The US and Europe need to welcome this historic shift. The kinetic French leader isn't talking about giving up control of the country's nukes (a legacy from President Charles de Gaulle). And he will still keep a firm grip on armed forces, which are Europe's largest (255,000 in active service). But as part of his campaign promise of "rupture" with status-quo policies, Mr. Sarkozy wants France to rejoin NATO's military command and planning structure, which de Gaulle quit in 1966.

Last-Minute Missiles - Washington Post editorial

The Bush administration may have radically shifted its foreign policy more than once in the past seven years, but it has been foolishly consistent in one endeavor: the overzealous pursuit of missile defense. Before and after Sept. 11, 2001, without regard for technological failures or the mixed results of testing, the administration has relentlessly and recklessly sought to build and deploy interceptors in Alaska and Europe and on ships. Before the 2004 election, the Pentagon rushed to pour concrete for silos in Alaska, though the ground-based system had not passed the most rudimentary tests or even been equipped with all of its components. Now the State Department is trying to seal agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic for a second interceptor base and a large radar station before President Bush leaves office. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hopes to travel to Prague and maybe to Warsaw early this month.

Court to Consider Fate of Ruling Party - Andrew Borowiec, Washington Times

Turkey's balancing act between Islam and secularism goes on trial Tuesday when the Constitutional Court takes up an indictment to outlaw the ruling party and slap a five-year ban from politics on the prime minister and president. A government proposal to let girls wear head scarves in school - struck down by the courts - triggered the indictment against the ruling party and its top officials. A 160-page indictment accuses the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) of violating the constitution and of trying to turn Turkey, a secular democracy, into an Islamic state.

Turkish Court Asked to Disband 'Islamist' Ruling Party - Nico Hines, The Times

Turkey’s highest court was told today that the country’s governing party should be disbanded for alleged Islamist activities. The President and Prime Minister are accused of breaching strict rules ensuring that political parties remain secular. The case being heard today is the latest in a series of battles between the Justice and Development Party (AK), which has Islamic roots, and secularists who dominate the courts, the Army and the bureaucracy.

Turkey's Past Ruining Hopes - Bronwen Maddox, The Times opinion

Turkey took a lurch towards turmoil yesterday as the chief prosecutor outlined his case for banning the governing party and police detained two retired commanders, among others, in their pursuit of a group alleged to be plotting a coup. For months, as this clash has been brewing, allies of Turkey hoped that it would fade away as an older generation of nationalist-minded generals gave way to younger, European-orientated politicians. It won’t. It now seems that the struggle for Turkey’s identity is going to get much worse, while its chances of a liberal, modern future dissolve.

US, Poland Reach Accord on Interceptors - Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times

US and Polish negotiators have finalized an agreement to base 10 missile interceptors on Polish soil as part of a US defense shield, and it is now up to the Warsaw government to formally approve the deal, officials from both countries said Wednesday. The Bush administration, ignoring vocal Russian opposition to the future shield, has already reached an accord with the Czech Republic on basing a tracking radar there, which Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to sign in Prague next week.

Britain to Sign Aircraft Carrier Deal - Graham Tibbetts, Daily Telegraph

A deal to build Britain's biggest ever aircraft carriers is expected to be sealed today. The Ministry of Defence is poised to sign contracts worth around £3 billion for two 65,000-ton ships. The Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales will be built at Govan in Glasgow and Rosyth in Fife, as well as Portsmouth and Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Measuring more than 300 yards in length, the ships will have a flight deck the size of three football pitches and space for 40 aeroplanes.

France’s Terrorism Strategy Faulted - Elaine Sciolino, New York Times

France’s much-praised system of using sweeping arrests and aggressive interrogations and prosecutions to combat terrorism prevents suspects from receiving a fair trial, according to a human rights report released Wednesday. France prides itself on having the most efficient counterterrorism strategy in Europe. French counterterrorism officials insist that the flexibility of French law and the French judicial system has been crucial in their ability to respond to the threat of international terrorism and has helped prevent attacks on French soil.

Sarkozy Lashes Out at Everyone - Charles Bremner, The Times

President Sarkozy's habit of picking fights landed him at war yesterday with three mighty institutions: the European Commission, the French armed forces and state television. Mr Sarkozy's slanging match with Peter Mandelson soured his second day of France's EU presidency after the British commissioner accused him of undermining Europe in world trade negotiations. The squabble, in which Mr Sarkozy cast Mr Mandelson as a bogeyman, was overshadowed at home by unrest among army generals and mutiny by the boss of France Télévisions.

Medvedev: No US Advice - Clifford Levy, New York Times

Russia’s new president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, less swaggering than his predecessor but as touchy about criticism from abroad, said in an interview that an America in “essentially a depression” was in no position to lecture other countries on how to conduct their affairs. With soaring oil revenues bolstering the Russian economy and Kremlin confidence, Mr. Medvedev brushed aside American criticism of his country’s record on democracy and human rights. He also said that a revived Russia had a right to assume a larger role in a world economic system that he suggested should no longer be dominated by the United States.

Russia Rated UK's Biggest Threat - Philip Webster, The Times

Britain’s security services have identified Russia as the third most serious threat facing the country, it has emerged before Gordon Brown’s first meeting with President Medvedev. Security officials say that only al-Qaeda terrorism and Iranian nuclear proliferation are greater menaces to the country’s safety than Russia. The services are understood to fear that Russia’s three main intelligence agencies have flooded the country with agents, The Times understands. There is reported to be deep irritation within the services that vital resources are having to be diverted to deal with industrial and military espionage by the Russians.

From Russia to US with Love - Henry Kissinger, The Australian opinion

Conventional wisdom treated Dmitry Medvedev's inauguration as President of the Russian Federation as a continuation of Vladimir Putin's two terms of Kremlin dominance and assertive foreign policy. A visit to Moscow with an opportunity to meet leading personalities of the political world, as well as representatives of various age groups in business and intellectual circles, has convinced me that this judgment is oversimplified and premature. For one thing, the emerging power structure in Moscow seems more complex than conventional wisdom holds. It was always doubtful why, if his primary objective was to retain power, Putin, at the height of a popularity that would have allowed him to amend the Constitution to extend his term, would choose the complicated, uncertain route of becoming prime minister. My impression is that a new phase of Russian politics is under way. The statement that the president designs foreign and security policy, and the prime minister implements parts of it, has become the mantra of Russian officials from Medvedev and Putin down.

Bosnian War Crimes Sentence Blocked - Associated Press

A UN appeals court on Thursday overturned the war crimes conviction of Naser Oric, a Bosnian Muslim considered a war hero by many in his country for fighting Serbs in the embattled Srebrenica enclave during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Oric, 41, was convicted two years ago by the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal of failing to prevent the murder and torture of Serb captives in Srebrenica. But judges gave him a lenient two-year sentence and ordered his immediate release because of time spent in custody. But appeals judges went even further, overturning both convictions because the original trial failed to establish that Oric had control over forces responsible for the crimes.

Judge: Sharia in Britain - Hope and Kirkup, Daily Telegraph

Muslims in Britain should be able to live according to Sharia law, the country's most senior judge has said. Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, the Lord Chief Justice, strongly backed Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, over his suggestion earlier this year that aspects of Sharia law should be adopted in Britain. The archbishop's remarks sparked a national debate and led to calls for his resignation. Risking inflaming that controversy again, Lord Phillips has said that Muslims in Britain should be able to use Sharia to decide financial and marital disputes.

Aircraft Carriers: Plane Sailing - The Times editorial

If diplomacy is the continuation of war by other means, and if the art of diplomacy is to speak softly and carry a big stick, then no stick comes much bigger, or looks more intimidating, than a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier. Except maybe two 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers. The tricky part of the equation is that big sticks do not come cheap. The Government has signed a contract for two 65,000-tonne supercarriers for the Royal Navy. As big sticks go, these are the second-biggest of their kind. Only America's Nimitz class aircraft carriers come bigger.

Poland Rebuffs US Missile-shield Offer - Associated Press

Poland's prime minister said Friday that the latest US offer to persuade his country to accept a missile-defense facility is unsatisfactory, but stressed that he expects negotiations to continue. Donald Tusk said that any deal must increase Poland's security. He said his government thinks the latest offer, made earlier this week, does not fulfill that requirement. However, Mr. Tusk made clear Warsaw's decision was not a final rejection of the US plan to place 10 missile-defense interceptors in Poland as part of a shield against a possible Iranian attack.

Blast in Belarus Injures Dozens - Michael Schwirtz, New York Times

A bomb exploded during an outdoor concert in the Belarus capital, Minsk, early Friday morning, wounding dozens, three critically, and a second device was found later in the same area, according to the authorities. The blast, near a World War II memorial in the city’s center, occurred at about 1 a.m. as revelers were celebrating the country’s Independence Day, said Aleksandr A. Lastovsky, a spokesman for the Minsk police department. He said investigators considered the bombing “an act of hooliganism.”

Union of Mediterranean to Be Inaugurated - Steven Erlanger, New York Times

Perhaps the grandest new idea of France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, looking to give his presidency of the European Union a lasting stamp, is the Union of the Mediterranean. An effort to bind the 17 nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea with the European Union around regional projects, the new union will be inaugurated next week at a Paris summit meeting. But as with some of Mr. Sarkozy’s other ideas, the execution has been haphazard. The Union of the Mediterranean has created resistance among vital allies, like the Germans and the Spanish, and confusion within his own government. The result may be more show than substance.

Murder that Festers in Belfast - Boston Globe editorial

Justice was badly served in Belfast last month, an indication that the Irish Republican Army continues to hold a malevolent grip on segments of Northern Irish society. Judge John Gillen had no choice but to acquit the man accused of murdering Robert McCartney in January 2005 outside a pub near the predominately Catholic Short Strand neighborhood. More than 70 people were in the pub when IRA stalwarts stabbed McCartney in a brawl that had nothing to do with politics. The only bystander to come forward had viewed the crime from a passing car, and her testimony was equivocal. Leaders of Sinn Fein, the IRA-affiliated political party, have called for more reliable witnesses to speak out, but more than three years after the murder, none has.

Brown Summit with Medvedev Fails - Webster and Parry, The Times

Relations between Britain and Russia remained in the deep freeze last night after Gordon Brown appeared to have made little headway in his first meeting with President Medvedev. At an hour-long meeting, the Prime Minister protested at the treatment by the Russian authorities of BP, the closure of British Council posts and the refusal to extradite the suspected murderer of the dissident former spy Alexander Litvinenko. Although there was no stand-up row between the two, neither claimed any breakthrough in relations. At least half of the meeting was taken up with Mr Brown’s complaints.

Russia Talks are Cold Comfort for PM - Bronwen Maddox, The Times

Gordon Brown got nowhere yesterday in trying to resolve the three worst disputes between Britain and Russia. But nor did the rows get worse in the first meeting with Dmitri Medvedev, Russia's new President, which is something, since relations are at their worst since the Cold War. The British strategy, really a kind of wishful thinking, is that these conflicts can be kept to one side while the nations work harmoniously on other problems. That looks as fragile a plan as ever but, astonishingly, it is still intact. Brown came away with some scraps of comfort: that Russia would continue to be helpful on trying to nudge Iran down from its nuclear ambitions, and on Zimbabwe.

Poland Tries to Save Missile-defense Deal - Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times

Poland urgently sent its chief diplomat to Washington on Monday for talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to salvage an elusive missile-defense deal, just hours before she flew to Prague to sign a similar agreement with the Czech Republic. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also planned to discuss the latest US proposal for basing 10 interceptors in Poland - which his government rejected Friday - with the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, respectively.

Medvedev Warns Bush on Missile Shield - The Australian

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told George W. Bush yesterday that putting US missile defence bases in neighbouring Lithuania was "absolutely unacceptable", a Russian official said. The meeting of the two leaders ahead of the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan was the first time the pair have met since Mr Medvedev was sworn in as president in May. Former Russian president Vladimir Putin still wields enormous influence as prime minister. "The Russian President openly expressed his serious concern about the media reports of talks between the US and Lithuania on the possible installation of anti-missile bases," Mr Medvedev's diplomatic adviser, Sergei Prikhodko said yesterday.

Serbs Set Up Government That Favors the West - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

The Serbian Parliament on Monday approved a new pro-Western government that aims to banish the virulent nationalism of the past and bring Serbia into the European Union. The government is the product of an unlikely alliance between the Socialist Party, once led by Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian strongman, and the Democratic Party of President Boris Tadic. Some liberals in the West and in Serbia have expressed alarm about the political marriage between the pro-Western Democrats and former staunch nationalists who helped plunge the Balkans into a decade of war. But Mr. Tadic has called the union a political necessity that will lead to national reconciliation.

Blast in Georgian Rebel Region Kills 4 - Michael Schwirtz, New York Times

An explosion in a cafe in a separatist region of the former Soviet republic of Georgia killed four people Sunday night, including a security service official from the rebel government. Six people were wounded. The explosion was the latest of at least a half dozen bombings in less than a week in the region, Abkhazia, and the first to cause fatalities. Although no suspects have been identified, leaders of the separatist government blamed Georgia for the bombing, which they accused of inflaming a 15-year conflict that has become increasingly violent in recent months. The government in Georgia, which claims Abkhazia as part of its territory, denied responsibility.

Finding Common Ground - Henry Kissinger, Washington Post opinion

President Bush's meeting with Dmitry Medvedev in Hokkaido yesterday provides an opportunity to review American relations with the new Russian leadership. Conventional wisdom treated Medvedev's inauguration as president of the Russian Federation as a continuation of President Vladimir Putin's two terms of Kremlin dominance and assertive foreign policy. But after recently visiting Moscow, where I met with leading political personalities as well as those in business and intellectual circles, I am convinced that this judgment is premature.

Turkey Versus Turkey - Soner Cagaptay, Wall Street Journal opinion

The jailing of two retired Turkish generals over the weekend has heightened tensions between the government in Ankara and its critics. The generals are among 21 people whom police have detained over the past week, including a senior industrialist and a prominent journalist, on suspicion of plotting a coup against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Interestingly, the interrogations occurred as the chief prosecutor appeared before the constitutional court to make his case that the AKP be shut down for violating the state's official secularism. While this showdown immediately revived the cliché of the "real Turks" of the AKP fighting off the "secular elites," this is not a case of the pious, popular masses versus an irreligious intelligentsia.

US, Czechs Sign Missile Accord - Dempsey and Bilefsky, New York Times

The United States and the Czech Republic signed a landmark accord on Tuesday to allow the Pentagon to deploy part of its widely debated antiballistic missile shield on territory once occupied by Soviet troops. The accord, the first of its kind to be reached with a Central or East European country, was signed in Prague by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Czech counterpart, Karel Schwarzenberg, despite strong opposition from Russia. It also needs to be ratified by Czech lawmakers, many of whom oppose it.

Czechs Sign Missile Shield Accord - John Ward Anderson, Washington Post

The United States and the Czech Republic signed an initial agreement Tuesday allowing the US military to build a radar station southwest of Prague as part of an antiballistic missile defense system in Eastern Europe. "It is an agreement for friends and allies who face a common threat in the 21st century and wish to address it through the application of the best defensive technologies that we can bring to bear," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after signing the agreement at a ceremony in the Czech capital.

Rice Urges Missile Shield Completion - Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times

The coming change of administrations in Washington could unravel President Bush's plans for a missile defense shield in Europe, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Tuesday in urging both presidential candidates not to abandon the project. Miss Rice, who signed an agreement with the Czech Republic to base a tracking radar, conceded that the system is yet to be fully developed. But she insisted that construction should begin soon nevertheless, because the missile threat from Iran is not "imaginary."

Russia Threatens Military Response - David Charter, The Times

Russia threatened to retaliate by military means after a deal with the Czech Republic brought the US missile defence system in Europe a step closer. The threat followed quickly on from the announcement that Condoleezza Rice signed a formal agreement with the Czech Republic to host the radar for the controversial project. Moscow argues that the missile shield would severely undermine the balance of European security and regards the proposed missile shield based in two former Communist countries as a hostile move.

Steps in Missile Defense - Helle Dale, Washington Times opinion

Good news from Europe this week. The cause of missile defense took a significant step forward when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice landed in the Czech Republic to sign an agreement for the Czechs to host a radar system that will become part of the US missile defense system. The agreement signed in Prague represents progress toward a more secure world, and the Czech government has to be commended for its steadfastness in following through on its commitments to the United States. Another piece of the system, a battery of 10 anti-missile interceptors, is still being considered by the Polish government, on whose territory they would be housed. Negotiations with Poland have been more difficult, as it has persisted in driving an ever harder bargain, including a major package of aid for Polish military transformation and a billion-dollar mobile air defense system.

Ready to Talk to Turkey - Serzh Sargsyan, Wall Street Journal opinion

The problems of newly independent nations attempting to build a novel, democratic way of life did not end with the break-up of the Soviet Union. Armenia, a small country strategically located between Turkey, Russia, Iran and the energy-rich Caspian region, is a case in point. Postindependence Armenia's potential for peaceful development has not been realized as best it could. During the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkey closed its border with Armenia as an expression of ethnic solidarity with Turkic Azerbaijan. The regrettable result is that for almost 15 years, the geopolitically vital border between Armenia and Turkey has become a barrier to diplomatic and economic cooperation. It is closed not only to Armenians and Turks who might want to visit their neighboring countries, but to trade, transport and energy flows from East to West.

US Consulate in Istanbul Attacked - Ellen Knickmeyer, Washington Post

Turkey bolstered security at US diplomatic installations across the country Wednesday after men armed with a pump-action shotgun and pistols shot and killed three Turkish policemen outside the US Consulate in Istanbul, officials said. Turkish police killed three gunmen in a five-minute gun battle that ensued. Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay said authorities were looking for a fourth man, who had driven the others to the consulate and might have been wounded as he drove away from the scene.

6 Die in Attack on US Post in Turkey - Cowell and Arsu, New York Times

A group of unidentified gunmen opened fire on Turkish security guards outside the United States Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, the Turkish authorities said, and at least three police officers and three assailants were killed in a brief gun battle. Officials said that a fourth assailant escaped. The late-morning attack was the first on a diplomatic mission in the city since 2003 when 62 people were killed in assaults on the British consulate, a bank and two synagogues. While the motives behind this attack were not immediately clear, Turkish officials described the gunmen as terrorists.

Russian Shield Threat 'a Scare Tactic' - The Australian

Moscow's threat to respond with military means if the US deployed a missile defence shield close to its borders was meant to make European countries nervous, the Pentagon said yesterday, calling Russia's warning "bellicose rhetoric". The US and Czech foreign ministers toasted with champagne after signing the accord to place a tracking radar southwest of Prague as part of a system to protect against the perceived threat of missile attack from countries such as Iran. But Russia, in a statement reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric, warned the US against deploying the shield.

Rice Urges Georgia to Give Opposition a Voice - Reuters

Russia should help resolve tension over Georgia's rebel regions instead of contributing to it, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday, and she urged an end to violence there. "It (Russia) needs to be a part of resolving the problem and solving the problem and not contributing to it," Rice said. "I have said it to the Russians publicly. I have said it privately," she told a news conference. "The violence needs to stop and whoever is perpetrating it, and I have mentioned this to the president, there should not be violence," she said, standing alongside Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

In Feuds, Isolation Engulfs Families - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

Under the Kanun, an Albanian code of behavior that has been passed on for more than 500 years, “blood must be paid with blood,” with a victim’s family authorized to avenge a slaying by killing any of the killer’s male relatives. The Kanun’s influence is waning, but it served as the country’s constitution for centuries, with rules governing a variety of issues including property ownership, marriage and murder. The National Reconciliation Committee, an Albanian nonprofit organization that works to eliminate the practice of blood feuds, estimates that 20,000 people have been ensnared by blood feuds since they resurfaced after the collapse of Communism in 1991, with 9,500 people killed and nearly 1,000 children deprived of schooling because they are locked indoors.

Half of British Military Says Want to Quit - Michael Evans, The Times

Britain’s ability to sustain campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan was called into question last night as it emerged that almost half of all military personnel are ready to quit. The first survey to assess attitudes across the Armed Forces reveals unprecedented levels of concern over equipment, morale and pay. The research was conducted by the Ministry of Defence and involved more than 24,000 military personnel. It found that the sense of overcommitment means that 47 per cent of soldiers and army officers think regularly of handing in their resignations.

EUROPE

Four Detained After Deadly Istanbul Attack - Sebnem Arsu, New York Times

The Turkish police said Thursday they had detained four people in connection with an investigation into a shooting at the United States consulate in Istanbul a day earlier that left six people dead and two injured. Three gunmen and three police officers were killed in the gunfire that erupted at the consulate early Wednesday, while a fourth assailant escaped in a car. Two of the injured were police officers who remain hospitalized. The attack was the first on an embassy or consulate in Turkey in five years.

Saving Turkey's Democracy - Christian Science Monitor editorial

Think of Turkey and the lively Grand Bazaar of Istanbul comes to mind, or the massive dome of Hagia Sophia. But its political fame is as the world's longest-lived democracy in a Muslim country - an example that Islam and civil liberties can coexist. Now that democracy faces a severe test. Turkey's two most powerful political forces - Islamists, who head the government, and secularists, who run the military, courts, and bureaucracy - are engaged in a fierce battle for dominance in this NATO country. Their arena is the highly politicized legal system. A judicial duel may not sound very dangerous. But to the degree that this duel harms the very democratic principles that allow both groups to thrive in the first place, the consequences could be grave.

Rice Calls for Peaceful End to Russia-Georgia Standoff - Emma Stickgold, VOA

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has offered America's help in easing tensions between Russia and its southern neighbor Georgia, the latest stop on her diplomatic swing through Europe. Rice is using her talks in Georgia to try and quell the tensions over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have been the focus on increasing violence and heated rhetoric.

Russian Jets over Restive Region Anger Georgia - Associated Press

Georgian officials on Thursday denounced a flight by Russian fighter jets over a separatist region of this former Soviet republic and charged the mission was meant to disrupt a visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Tbilisi. Russia's government confirmed that four of its planes circled over South Ossetia late Wednesday for about 40 minutes, and said the mission was ordered to head off a possible "invasion" of the region by Georgian troops. South Ossetia and another region, Abkhazia, split off from Georgia during separatist wars in the 1990s and have been supported by the Kremlin. Cease-fires ended those fights, but tensions have risen in recent months amid fears on both sides the other is preparing for a new war.

Georgia Recalls Moscow Ambassador - BBC News

Georgia is to recall its ambassador from Russia after Moscow admitted its fighter jets had entered Georgian airspace earlier this week. Tbilisi accused Moscow of committing a "very grave act of aggression". Moscow said its jets were above Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia to "cool hot heads in Tbilisi". Tension has been rising over South Ossetia and another Georgian breakaway region, Abkhazia. Moscow supports separatist administrations in both.

US Pledges $400 Million to Help Kosovo - Associated Press

A top U.S. aid official says the United States will pledge around $400 million at Friday's international donor conference for Kosovo. Officials hope euro1.5 billion ($2.36 billion) will be raised to bolster democratic, law and order reforms and to help pay for infrastructure such as schools, roads and energy plants. Henrietta Holsman Fore, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, said Thursday that about $150 million (euro95.5 million) of the US pledge will go toward debt relief.

New Spy Row over British Diplomat - Tony Halpin, The Times

Russia triggered a new spying row with Britain last night when a senior diplomat in Moscow was accused of working for British Intelligence. The allegation against Chris Bowers, the British Embassy’s acting director of trade and investment, follows weeks of antagonism and growing tension between London and Moscow. Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source within Russia’s intelligence services, who claimed that Mr Bowers was a high-ranking secret service officer who had also worked under cover in the 1990s as a BBC reporter in Uzbekistan.

Hague’s Docket to Kosovo’s Ballot - Dan Bilefsky, New York Times

In 2005, just after arriving in The Hague to face charges for war crimes, Ramush Haradinaj found himself face to face with Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian strongman, who was being held in a nearby cell. For Mr. Haradinaj, a former commander of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army and a squat hulk of a man who fought a guerrilla war against Mr. Milosevic’s forces, the encounter was a shock. When Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders finally declared independence last February, Mr. Haradinaj’s sense of triumph was tempered by his being forced to watch from prison. Now, Mr. Haradinaj, 40, who was prime minister of United Nations-administered Kosovo for 100 days before surrendering to The Hague in March 2005, vows to once again lead the newborn country.

Czechs See Oil Flow Fall - Andrew Kramer, New York Times

Three days after the Czech Republic signed an agreement with the United States to host a tracking radar for an antiballistic missile system that Russia vehemently opposes, the authorities in Prague said the flow of Russian oil to their country was beginning to dwindle. In a statement on Friday, Czech officials declined to link the reduced supply to the deal signed Tuesday in Prague. Still, though the flow of oil can vary for technical reasons, it was clear that the Czechs suspected a connection and intended to ask the Russians to explain the decline.

Rice Upbeat on Visa Waivers - Nicholas Kralev, Washington Times

Residents of the Czech Republic should be able to visit the United States without visas within the next six months, easing a longstanding source of friction between Washington and one of its Eastern European allies. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the nation's pending eligibility for the visa-waiver program during the same visit in which she sealed a deal with Prague to cooperate on a European missile shield program.

Turkey Holding 10 in Consulate Attack - Sebnem Arsu, New York Times

Turkish police have now detained 10 suspects in the armed attack on the United States Consulate on Wednesday that killed six people, the governor of Istanbul said Friday. Three policemen and three assailants were killed in a gunfight in front of the consulate. A fourth escaped in car, which the police found abandoned in a remote neighborhood in Istanbul late Thursday. The suspected driver is among those detained.

Attackers Shared Bleak Background - Laura King, Los Angeles Times

The electronic buzzer sounded, and the gaggle of gangly 14- and 15-year-old boys jumped up, scattering pumpkin seeds they'd been cracking between their teeth. Their brief break was over; now they had to hurry back to their jobs in the textile factory. In the impoverished enclave of Kucukcekmece, on the far fringes of Istanbul, the three young attackers who died trying to storm the US Consulate on Wednesday lived within a few blocks of one another in ramshackle, illegally constructed homes known by the evocative Turkish term gecekondu -- built overnight.

Europe's Most Wanted - The Times editorial

Thousands of relatives of those murdered in the worst European atrocity since the Second World War gathered yesterday to remember them, in Srebrenica. The death toll from the massacres in what was meant to be a UN-protected safe haven for Bosnian Muslims in July, 1995, is 8,372. But bodies are still being unearthed. Names are still being added to the list of the dead. The men who ordered the killings, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, remain at large. For 13 years they have been protected not by vast deserts or impenetrable mountains, but by people who refuse to accept the overwhelming evidence that they are war criminals.

Sarkozy to Open Mediterranean Union - Baptiste Etchegaray, Washington Times

After months of diplomatic quarrels, French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday will host his cherished Union for the Mediterranean, a group aimed at promoting concrete projects among states bordering the Mediterranean Sea. In the glass-domed Grand Palais in Paris, most of the leaders of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East are expected to endorse Mr. Sarkozy's plan for the new north-south community. "It is in southern Europe where our future has been at stake," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner wrote recently in a column in the Le Monde newspaper to justify the initiative.

Russia Chills Out in New Cool War - The Times editorial

Either Mr Medvedev was out of his depth when he s