Moderate supporters of the insurgent Taliban could indeed be persuaded of the advantages of cooperation with the Afghan government, the daily Die Presse writes: "The Taliban and al-Qaida are not inseparable Siamese twins; what binds them together is a symbiotic relationship. What benefits one also benefits the other. If the moderate Taliban elements can now be persuaded of the merits of cooperating with the government in Kabul, this would be to al-Qaida's detriment - it would be the end of the symbiosis. No one should succumb to the illusion that you can negotiate with the hardcore elements of the Taliban. But trying to splinter off the moderate elements could work. The minimal demand: that the Taliban cut off their bond with al-Qaida. Time is pressing: In autumn 2011 ten years will have passed since the US troops first left their boot prints on Afghan territory. The Soviet Union's troops were forced to make a humiliating withdrawal after nine years." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Thomas Seifert

The international community's planned strategy for the London Conference on Afghanistan which consists in winning over the radical Islamist Taliban movement with money is problematic, writes the daily Postimees: "The government of [Afghan President] Hamid Karzai doesn't trust anyone, so the international sponsors are seeking direct contact with the local powers. Money is part of the strategy that has been drawn up under the leadership of the UK, the US and Germany. The plan is to pay off the Taliban, village by village, tribe by tribe. However the problem is that the Taliban are only being offered what that can be sure of getting anyway if they are patient enough. 'You have clocks, we have time', the rebels mock. The Pashtuns by no means live in the Middle Ages, as is often believed in the West, but inhabit their own time and space where Western coordinates don't apply." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Germany, » United Kingdom, » U.S., » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Ahto Lobjakas

Because of the weakness of Hamid Karzai's Afghan government the international community is prepared to negotiate with the Islamist Taliban, the business paper Il Sole 24 Ore writes: "Olive branches and dollars are awaiting the Taliban at the London conference - but of course only if they're willing to hand over their weapons. The United Nations, the American generals, the UK, Germany and to a certain extent all Washington's allies like the idea. They can't wait to get out of the Afghan swamp before the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the war comes round in 2011. ... The Taliban's opponents are showing those small signs of wear and tear in their declarations that - in the language of diplomacy - are prerequisite for the search for a 'political solution'." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Afghanistan
All available articles from » Alberto Negri

The presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey met last Thursday in Istanbul. Turkey has already proven a good mediator in other conflicts, the daily Diário de Notícias writes, and could make an important contribution to solving the Afghanistan problem as well: "On Thursday the Afghanistan conference begins in London, but the real strategic preparations for bringing peace and development to this country took place over the last two days in Istanbul. … The dynamics of Turkish diplomacy should not be played down. … At a time when the military solution appears inadequate to restore peace to Afghanistan, … Turkey is calling for a political solution with the less radical Taliban, for a development and anti-corruption strategy, for regional cooperation and the creation of jobs. Isn't this exactly what the EU wants?" (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Turkey, » Afghanistan

The first refugees have made it by boat to Corsica, where they were immediately taken into custody by the French authorities pending deportation. But the move has failed to have the deterring effect it was meant to, writes the left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung: "Put under pressure, the authorities improvised and in their haste they disregarded the 124 refugees' most elementary rights. For this violation [French Interior Minister Eric] Besson has now received a well-deserved slap in the face. The case does set an example, but not the one intended by the government's repressive policy. For now the aid organisations have won the day by furnishing evidence that the 'homeland of human rights' may not tread asylum rights underfoot simply because reasons of state demand that the walls of Fortress Europe be built ever thicker and higher as a bulwark against the frightening storm of needy and persecuted who throng from the backyards of the world." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Migration, » France
All available articles from » Rudolf Balmer

Spain is discussing the best site to build a central intermediate facility for nuclear waste. The subject has become highly explosive among the different parties, resulting in a lack of objective debate about nuclear energy, the business paper Cinco Dias criticises: "The intermediate storage site has little to do with the question of whether you are for or against nuclear energy. It's about storing the waste which already exists and has helped to supply a substantial chunk of the population with electricity - around 20 percent of Spain's energy comes from nuclear power. It's sad that there are a couple of demagogues who are willing to conduct a sham debate for the sake of a handful of votes. These are the same people who are delaying the genuine, open and unprejudiced debate about nuclear power that becomes more urgent with each passing day." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Energy, » Spain

A large parade will be held in Moscow on May 9 to mark the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II. The daily Latvijas Avīze says there's no point making a fuss over whether Latvian President Valdis Zatlers should go or not: "We now know that the Kremlin has announced through the Foreign Ministry that Mr Zatlers may attend the celebrations. And anyone familiar with traditional Russian hospitality knows that he'll be heartily wined and dined there. Nothing more has been said, at least not to the lowly people. ... For domestic policy reasons it would certainly be more sensible for the president to be in Moscow on May 9 and not in Riga. And in addition it's entirely superfluous to start talking now about the conditions for such a visit. Let's not forget, it was [former Latvian President] Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga who made a controversial speech there five years ago, but so far nothing much has changed in our relations." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » History, » Latvia, » Russia
All available articles from » Voldemārs Krustiņš

US President Barack Obama needs more time to bring real change to society, Miquel Roca Junyent writes in the liberal daily La Vanguardia, defending the president against the growing criticism: "It has become trendy to say that Obama is no longer trendy. People say he hasn't fulfilled the expectations he inspired, that many things remain the same and that others have become worse. They're saying that no progress is being made with the healthcare reform, that the Republicans will win the upcoming elections to Congress, and so on. ... The important thing is to devaluate the myth. ... Our society burns through everything very quickly. ... We live with a desire for change that isn't compatible with enduring fashions. Because change takes time, and above all those who want change should know this. Transforming, reforming, entails operating on a living reality that has its own dynamics, that resists change and clings to the way it is. It takes tenacity, skill, dialogue and constancy to change this. The worst thing would be to convert change into a trend; it would be like moving forward in opposite directions. I prefer the Obama in difficulties to the myth one with the wind in his sails. He's more real." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » U.S.
All available articles from » Miquel Roca Junyent

The election of Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the US Federal Reserve is hanging in the balance. Democratic and Republican senators alike have refused to give him their backing on account of his behaviour during the financial crisis. The daily Polska defends the top custodian of the US currency: "Ben Bernanke ... has done more than anyone else to ensure that the financial crisis didn't take the same turn as it did in the 1930s. His critics are playing a political game in an affair that is beyond their area of authority: how to conduct financial policy and stabilise the world's biggest economy to prevent the financial crisis from doing further damage. ... Bernanke used economical methods to counter the crisis, with the monetary powers endowed on his office and with an excellent understanding of history. That was enough." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Fiscal Policy, » United Kingdom, » Poland, » U.S.

New interest in the insolvent Swedish car maker Saab has been shown by Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker. But a purchase could prove too expensive for Swedish taxpayers, writes the daily Dagens Nyheter: "Taxpayers have every reason to follow these negotiations closely. Half of the purchase valued at around eight billion crowns [roughly 780 million euros] is supposed to by covered by a loan from the European Investment Bank guaranteed by the Swedish state. ... When you consider the enormous challenges facing Saab/Spyker, there is a huge risk that taxpayers will end up losing their money. ... This offer by Spyker is far from risk-free, and could well postpone the inevitable restructuring of Western Sweden's industry. Despite new investors and a possible loan running into the billions there are good reasons to be pessimistic about Saab's future" (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Sweden

Artist László Najmányi writes in his blog on the cultural website Artportal of the cultural devastation wrought by the earthquake in Haiti: "The proud symbol of the island's independence, the presidential palace erected around one hundred years ago in the capital Port au Prince in the style of the French renaissance, lies in ruins today. ... Notre Dame Cathedral has also collapsed, burying hundreds of faithful as well as the Catholic archbishop of Haiti. The same fate was suffered by Trinity Cathedral, on whose walls Jesus and the apostles, the Christian martyrs and saints are all black. ... Even the so-called cultural centre, which played an important role in the development and spread of local painting and which housed a valuable collection spanning centuries, has been destroyed. The vast majority of art galeries, cultural institutions and workshops in the capital were also not spared, not to speak of the many artists among the dead." (25/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Exhibitions / Museums, » Latin Amerika
All available articles from » László Najmányi

Many British liberals have come out against a ban on burqas of the type being discussed in France, on the grounds that such a move would contravene the freedom of choice of British citizens. The daily The Independent disagrees: "This covering makes women invisible, invalidates their participatory rights and confirms them as evil temptresses. ... Yet some liberal Westerners take dilettante positions on freedom because their own lives are unaffected. Instead of standing with modernists, the staunchest defenders of freedom, they defect to the enemy." (25/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Social affairs, » Gender equality, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

At the start of the year French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced he would subsidise the crisis-ridden French online media to the tune of 60 million euros. Now bloggers and the opposition are accusing the subsidised media of tacitly approving Sarkozy's policies. The daily Le Monde comments: "According to the annual survey carried out by TNS Sofres-Logica for the daily La Croix, the French place only limited trust in the credibility of their media. ... And indeed it is not difficult to see that the connections between the media and the executive are close indeed. The heads of the most important private media are acquaintances or even close friends of the president. ... Nevertheless today all media, in particular the written press, are facing perilous times. ... We must never let slip from our minds the determination on the part of all these media in their courageous and essential mission: clarifying and explaining an increasingly complex world." (25/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Press freedom, » France

According to an Internet user survey, over 700,000 Romanians read blogs on a regular basis. The daily Gândul takes a look at who else uses them: "Even the Pope in Rome sees blogs as a 'gift to humanity' nowadays, and recommends his priests to make use of multimedia instruments to preach to the faithful about the path, the truth and life. What's more, he wants priests to learn how to preach on blogs in their theology seminars. ... And this too is important: If the blog is well done it will make money. The [online paper] Huffington Post began as a blog and now has its own website, 89 employees and 3,000 invited bloggers, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Madonna. The website generated around 16 million dollars last year and media analysts put its value at between 100 and 200 million dollars. ... But the smallest bloggers keep writing, writing and writing to get ahead. They dream of their blog making them a fortune. And even if it doesn't, at least someone will read it." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Online media, » Global, » Romania
All available articles from » Raluca Ion

The Dutch city of Capelle aan den Ijssel has a new animal police. However stray cats and annoying pigeons need not fear police raids, much to the dismay of columnist Sylvain Ephimenco writing for the daily Trouw: "The animal police force was set up to take action against people again. Now I am naturally against any form of maltreatment of pets. It fills me with horror. But this obsession with animals that has gone on for some time now concerns me. It starts with the dog that gets beaten and the undernourished pony and in the end you get arrested for mistreating ants. In this decadent society we are creating cruel gold fish bowls, circuses, zoos, fishing sports, dressage, leather sofas, eiderdowns and [Queen Beatrix's] golden coach will disappear entirely in the end. But what worries me most is that we will soon have a world in which animal lovers hate their fellow human beings. ... Good to animals, merciless to humans." (26/01/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Netherlands
All available articles from » Sylvain Ephimenco