“Prisoners of time”: that’s the title of the editorial dedicated by Bruno Frappat ( La Croix, 20/10) to Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, the two French hostages kidnapped in Iraq two months ago. Frappat reflects on the so-called “collateral effects” of the war, and notes that the two hostages have been “ transformed into objects of trade and bargaining chips, and subordinated to the good will of more or less fanatical groups”. “How much influence is exerted by French public opinion in this situation?”, asks Frappat, who points out: “The silence maintained for three weeks on the activity of France to obtain the liberation of two its citizens is legitimate and honourable. We will only find out later whether it has ensured an effective result. There is however a secondary effect: it has led to a kind of ‘suppression’ in public opinion. It is beginning to grow inured to this taking of hostages, with the risk of a terrible routine. The families of the victims respect the maintenance of discretion. The media don’t add anything, limiting themselves to keeping alive a little flame of vigilance”. The debate on the European Constitution meanwhile continues in Le Monde (20/10). Arnaud Leparmentier speaks of a “divorce between Paris and Brussels”, and explains: “Opposition in France to the European Constitution arouses incomprehension in circles in Brussels. Many dismiss Laurent Fabius, accusing him of squalid manoeuvres of domestic policy. On the contrary, the constitutional dispute reveals a deeper malaise”. According to the author of the article, “there exists two Europes: the one that is being laboriously constructed in Brussels and the one that numerous Frenchmen, especially of the left, imagine. The gap between these two worlds is increasing and threatens the construction of Europe”. “Towards a more representative Security Council” is the title of an article signed by Karl Raiser in the Herald Tribune (21/10), in which it is predicted that “the reform of the United Nations may not be the most urgent issue at the present time, but it will return to occupy a central place in the international agenda”. “The Security Council it is pointed out in the article -, as the institution charged by the UN Charter to deal with questions of peace and security, is central for any reform of the UNO. Only the Security Council, in fact, may decide or give legitimacy to humanitarian interventions, or the use of sanctions and military force”. The recent elections in Afghanistan and those in Kosovo scheduled for Saturday are discussed in the Italian Catholic daily Avvenire (21/10) with an editorial signed by Vittorio E. Parsi who writes: “The Kosovar elections seem deliberately intended malgré tout to fossilize and at the same time to exacerbate hatred and rancour… If the Albanian ethnic component, by far the majority component in the country, goes to vote en masse, it is equally probable that the Serbs of Kosovo, now vanquished, will desert the polls en masse”. Reconstructing the history of the region, the editorialist concludes: “The situation in Kosovo is explosive… If the conflict does not erupt anew, that will be due only to the substantial destruction of the military power and political capacity of the Serb-Montenegran Confederation. That is discouraging from an ethical point of view and from the viewpoint of a policy not blind to ideals and to the future”. The terrorist threat in Spain is analysed by the Spanish press, after news broke that “ 7 Islamic militants have been detained, charged with planning to blow up the country’s highest court with 1000 kilos of dynamite”, as reported by La Razón (19/10). “The presumed brain of the terrorist cell is a member of the GIA (Armed Islamic Group) who has since fled to Switzerland”, adds the paper. The police detained the suspects at Almeria, Valencia, Málaga and Madrid. All are Algerian or Moroccan nationals. “Turkey, indispensable”, by contrast, is the title of the editorial in La Razón of 21/10, which expresses the hope for “a stable Turkey” as an “indispensable element for security in the West”. It is at risk however the paper points out due to Islamic fundamentalism, which may curb a process of stabilization with dangerous consequences”. “Terrorism and common crimes” is the title of the editorial in another Spanish daily, El Periódico (20/10), in which it is observed that “ the conjunction between Islamic radicalism and common crimes does not explain some conspiracy theories”. The paper notes that “it is logical that after the massacre of Madrid, alarm bells should be ringing about future attacks and preventive measures taken”. The paper criticises the fact that before 11-M in Madrid there was a “chain of errors”. The relation between Europe and Cuba is another leading issue in the Spanish press over the last week: “The EU asks ambassadors to conduct an inquiry on the situation in Havana in order to review its policy towards the island”. News of the inquiry is carried by ABC (19/10) which explains on its front page: “the EU’s Latin-American experts have asked ambassadors in Havana for a report on the situation in Cuba, in order to discuss on this basis the possibility of reviewing European policy”. The first request for such a review came from Spain, which “asks that diplomatic sanctions against Cuba be re-examined”, and “dialogue with the authorities re-established”. A meeting on this question, scheduled for 16 November, will clarify whether “European dialogue with the Cuban regime of Fidel Castro will be re-opened or not”. ———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1334 N.ro relativo : 74 Data pubblicazione : 23/10/04
