Greece - people moving

After decades of sending migrant workers abroad Greece is now receiving many - mostly Albanian - workers. Having set up a work visa scheme the flow is more controlled than before but public attitudes remain hostile. A poll has shown the vast majority of Greeks see migrants as a threat - nearly a third want them all sent home more from IWPR...

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EU - does No mean No ?

Despite a No from the French vote on the EU constitution the leaders of the European Council, Parliament and the current President have all said voting should continue in other countries. The constitution could not be renegotiated and the French view should be used to forge a new "European Compromise". Just how much of a compromise will be seen when the Dutch vote on Wednesday. more from the EU Observer...

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US - unconventional detention

Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers has called Guantanamo Bay a "model facility" and has objected To Amnesty's tag of "the American Gulag". After all, he says, you can't just release people who will might "turn right around and try to slit our throats, our children's throats?". Will such straight talking silence the tea-sipping liberals out there ?. Senator John McCain - not a known tea-sipper - has his doubts, and says he will be trying to get Congress to hold hearings on how prisoners are handled, for the practical reason that it may be damaging the image of the US abroad more from the LA Times... This was a point picked up in a lengthy article in the US media last year more from the Washington Monthly.. which noted that many career officers objected to the decision not to apply the Geneva convention as putting US soldiers lives at risk in future conflicts - by both making the enemy less likely to surrender (for fear of being tortured) and more likely to mistreat US captives in return. The contrast with the first Gulf War, with thousands of prisoners taken, and little abuse reported, seems glaring.

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Japan - follow the money

Many Japanese are mulling over the recent popular outbursts in China and Korea to decide on what approach to take. Is it more than a historic issue ?, is their close alliance with the US the real problem ? Editorials and opinion pieces in the media have floated a variety of explanations, but there is a strand which pins much of the blame on a foreign policy too closely linked to the US. Nearly half of Japan's trade is with China now, only a fifth or so with the US, so maybe it's time to turn a blind eye to issues like Taiwan while ruling out any sort of military role more from the Asahi Shimbun...

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North Korea - an Amnesty for all ?

North Korea's state seems a hangover from more repressive times. As the WFP again declares famine a possibility has the time come to think more creatively about 'regime change' ?. How about letting them get away with it ?. As the lesser of two evils, some commentators have suggested it would be better to offer the perpetrators of human rights abuses (and other forms of repression) an amnesty, in order to persuade them to desert the regime they serve. If successful, this would save thousands of lives - at some cost in principles of course. more from the Asia Times...

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Uzbekistan - crackdown

The recent violence in Uzbekistan has moved many local human rights activists to speak out, gather evidence and attract attention. Unwelcome attention. The state has taken the chance to crack down on these people first - as noticed by Human Rights Watch and others more from EurasiaNet...

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Russia - the long goodbye

Russia has waited a decent interval since Bush's visit to start talks with Georgia about withdrawing military bases - has a deal been done ? Russian media are reporting the chances of an agreement are good, with Georgian assurances on anti-terror measures and not leasing the bases to other countries (the US) smoothing the way. But there are still games to be played to disguise Russia's long retreat - like suggesting moving some bases to Armenia more from Kommersant...

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Kosovo - forever conditional

The UN is due to consider Kosovo next week, with a view to starting the diplomatic process that will settle it's final status - or not. The chances of any clear decision - to become part of Serbia or become independent - are slim, for the good reason that either might provoke violent unrest. Some observers see this as a deliberate stalling tactic to leave things vague for another decade, by which time the whole Western Balkans will have been absorbed into the EU. more from the IWPR...

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EU - nill points for the Constitution

As French polls show the No vote growing the Dutch too look set to reject the Constitution. Eurovision may be to blame. The song contest has been seen as a stitch up by those Eastern Europeans - just like the EU. more from the EU Observer...

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Uzbekistan - any options ?

Politicial opposition groups in Uzbekistan are reported to be weak and divided: the mass of the populace are poor farmers mainly concerned with survival. Is International pressure the only hope for change ? Some observers see Russia as the key to avoiding bloody revolution as perhaps only Putin can persuade Karimov to alter economic and political policies that seem to be leading nowhere more from EurasiaNet...

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Georgia - going home happy

Georgians were euphoric at the recent state visit by President Bush - but not always for the same reasons. The government is claiming the visit as a vindication of it's policies but the public seem to have been happy for it's purely symbolic value more from the IWPR...

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Albania - harvest of souls

The Jehovah's Witness missionaries have been blamed by the Albanian media for a recent spate of child suicides - but life can be hard for plenty of other reasons. Albania tops Europes lists for child labour, trafficking and illiteracy - never mind domestic violence and recent trauma's in Kosovo. The Missionaries make a better story though more from the IWPR...

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EU - not up in arms

Under pressure from it's allies - the US and Japan - the EU has had to go back on plans to end the China arms embargo. How to tell the Chinese - easy - just request some progress on Human Rights as a precondition to any arms sale. Four specific areas are mentioned - signing up to UN conventions, ending re-education through labour, freeing Tiananmen detainees and a freer media. more from the Daily Telegraph...

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US - Religion in the Workplace

US companies are mulling over the benefits of recognizing faith-based groups in the work force. Inspired by President Bush's example, many evangelical employees are looking for recognition so they can bring their "whole selves" to work. Breakfast prayer meeting anyone ? But what if your Boss is running a lunch time prayer group ? - won't the non-believers feel a bit excluded ?. An LA Times journalist has reviewed the trend but, interestingly, concentrates more on how people of different faiths would get along - as opposed to the more secular minded. more from the LA Times...

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France - Gunter Grass says Oui

An open letter from a group of German intellectuals, published in Le Monde, has appealed to the idealism of the French for a Yes vote on the EU constitution. Maybe this will be more effective than discussing their wallets but it's an unusual approach. Germany itself will not be having a popular vote but rather Parliament will vote. Specially timed, some think, to influence their neighbour more from the EUObserver...

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Uzbekistan - pressure on the poor

The recent, very limited, demonstrations in Tashkent may be the early signs of more strident protests against the authoritarian regime in Uzbekistan. Imposing higher taxes, tariffs and border closures may be a risky strategy. The economy has declined in the past year leaving an increasingly desperate rural population with little left to lose. Some observors think larger changes are brewing more from EurasiaNet...

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Russia - back in the USSR

The 60th anniversary of Russia's defeat of Nazi Germany could be a chance to show how much the world has changed, or how much it hasn't. Critics have been pointing out the grandiose
celebrations - with their selective view of the past - are a bit Soviet era in flavour. It was the USSR's finest hour but the post-war years can't be overlooked more from the IHT...

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EU - Supersize me

One year on from enlargement and the 10 new EU member states economies are growing nicely - but resentment is building among some older EU members struggling to compete. Has the EU swallowed more than it can chew ? A good example is Siemans in Germany using the threat of relocation Eastwards to force a pay freeze on it's employees. The German state has cut domestic corporate tax rates to try and keep jobs from being exported but it'll take a lot to make those employees welcome enlargement. more from the EuroObserver...

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