After the withdrawal of the last US combat troops from Iraq the conservative daily The Times writes that the mission should have been better planned: "Some problems that beset the international coalition could have been better foreseen. The tensions between the minority Sunni elite, the poorer Shia majority and the Kurds in the north were well known to anyone with experience of Iraq. The risk of civil war was clear. The need for the presence of many troops to keep the country calm after the fall of Saddam should have been no surprise. General Ray Odierno, the commander of US forces in Iraq, who steps down today, has acknowledged that 'we all came in very naive about Iraq'." (01/09/2010)

» more information (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » United Kingdom, » North America, » Iraq

Commenting on the official end of the Iraq war, the conservative daily ABC recalls the ambitious goals of the US before it invaded Iraq: "Obama has done well to avoid any kind of triumphalism because in the end the goal of spreading democratic elements to the countries of the Middle East is far from having been achieved. It may seem utopian, but there is no reasonable alternative to preserving the values of free societies in a global world and doing everything possible to extend those values to those societies where they have not yet taken root." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S., » Iraq

With the official end of their military mission the US have left a country full of dashed hopes, the liberal conservative Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes, pointing to the troubled province of Diyala: "With its population mix of Sunnis and Shiites, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens, Diyala is a mirror of the religious and ethnic diversity of Iraq, as well as of its murderous conflicts. ... According to the local authorities a third of Diyala's roughly 1.2 million inhabitants have no access to drinking water. The reasons are many for the misery - the war and terror of recent years, a former regime that preferred to invest in weapons rather than in water mains, the prolonged UN embargo, the Americans whose planning was sometimes at odds with the situation on the ground, and a government that loves to present pretty strategies but is hardly able to put them into practice." (31/08/2010)

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » U.S., » Iraq
All available articles from » Inga Rogg

The end of the US's mission could lead to civil war in Iraq and put Barack Obama's presidency at risk, fears the Catholic daily Avvenire: "The withdrawal of US combat troops from Baghdad is supposed to buff up the image of the US presidency ... .But it could backfire disastrously. ... The knot in Iraq has not been unravelled. On the contrary, it threatens to pull tighter. ... Terrorist attacks resulting in dozens of casualties are on the increase again and doubts about the ability of the new local security forces to ensure order are growing. ... The fear of a new, devastating civil war ... is spreading. Everything is at stake for Obama in the coming weeks - his political future and that of the Middle East. The withdrawal of troops from Iraq has been given the suggestive name 'New Dawn'. The struggling leadership of the United States of America needs its own new dawn." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Italian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S., » Middle East, » Iraq
All available articles from » Luigi Geninazzi

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski on Wednesday embarked on a foreign tour, with Brussels as his first destination. The head of state wants to show in this way how important the EU is for Poland, writes the liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza: "This is his symbolic way of expressing the strong ties his people and his country feel towards the EU. There is nothing that has to be negotiated with the EU Commission, the European Parliament or the European Council. ... He is travelling to Brussels among other things because the voters expect this gesture. A few days ago the European Commission published its latest Eurobarometer - a survey that is regularly carried out all over the EU among more than ten thousand persons. It says in black and white that the Poles remain among the most passionate EU enthusiasts. 62 percent of Poles (that's 13 percent points more than the EU average) feel that EU membership is 'a good thing' for their country." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » Poland
All available articles from » Konrad Niklewicz

The peace talks between Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas due to start on Thursday and mediated by US President Barack Obama have little prospect of success, according to Dagens Nyheter: "Within three weeks the talks could be torpedoed. On September 26, the freeze on the building of new settlements ends and Netanyahu has already announced that he won't extend it. In this case Abbas has said he will break off the negotiations. As long as the Israeli government refuses to make compromises on Jerusalem and the Palestinians don't budge from their demand that the refugees of 1948 be allowed to return, the path to peace will be long and stony. If Netanyahu and Abbas are successful against all expectations, new dangers lie in wait. Hamas, with its one-party rule, opposes Israel and all diplomacy. Israeli extremists could also try to torpedo an agreement. It's a good thing that Obama has forced the two sides to sit down at the negotiating table, but he must apply all the pressure he can to achieve progress. If he is successful within a year, as planned, Obama will have earned his Nobel Peace Prize." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » U.S., » Middle East

Libyan revolutionary leader Muammar al-Gaddafi has asked for five billion dollars per year from the EU to fight illegal immigration from Africa. Libya is the gateway for unwanted immigration, he said during his state visit to Italy. That smacks of extortion, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Italy has already signed one agreement with Gaddafi and forked over the money. In addition there are dozens of bilateral agreements between EU countries and African states vested with funds earmarked to limit migration within Africa. This problem is to a large extent homemade and can be ascribed to the incompetence of African politicians. With his political clout Gaddafi has been able to exert influence on them, paying aid money out of his gushing oil revenues. One wonders how long European politicians will put up with this man's dangerous foolery." (01/09/2010)

» more information (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » EU Policy, » Europe, » Libya
All available articles from » Günther Nonnenmacher

After surviving the global economic crisis the world is now divided into two groups of countries, writes the Munich economist Hans-Werner Sinn in the business paper Világgazdaság. While some are booming others are lagging behind and grappling with new problems: "The Bric countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - belong to the first group. ... The second, led by the United States, consists of countries with debt problems. ... In Europe as well, the situation is twofold. The former boom countries Greece, Ireland and Spain are still plagued by recession, and their gross domestic products will continue to shrink. ... By contrast Europe's biggest economy Germany is experiencing a surprisingly healthy economic recovery. ... The explanation for this divided world is that countries like Greece, Spain and the US which were financed by huge capital imports are now increasingly having difficulty rustling up foreign capital. By contrast capital-exporting countries now enjoy a liquidity surplus as their capital shies away from the 'saturated' economies. This surplus credit boosts consumption and investment, sparking an economic upturn." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Fiscal Policy, » Economic Policy, » Global
All available articles from » Hans-Werner Sinn

Almost 20 years after regaining their independence Jānis Reirs calls on politicians in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to show more unity with each other in his blog for the daily Diena: "We recently commemorated the anniversary of the signing of the Hitler-Stalin Pact together, and also the Human Chain that was formed in the three Baltic states [in 1989] and which was a symbol of our unity. ... And it was precisely in the form of Baltic states that we became more visible. So we can see this as an achievement because the voice of small countries is often too quiet to be heard on the international stage when they act alone. ... A sign that we have overcome our neighbourly rivalry is the joint support for Estonia's introduction of the euro - and this was not merely a noble gesture; it will benefit the entire region. The accession of just one of the Baltic states to the Eurozone will bring more stability and also the prospect of more sustainable growth to the other two." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Latvian)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Fiscal Policy, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Lithuania, » Latvia, » Estonia
All available articles from » Jānis Reirs

The number of unemployed in Germany is at its lowest level in 18 years. The country's Federal Employment Agency has announced that 3.188 million people are looking for work, 4,000 fewer than in July. According to the business paper Les Echos other European countries would do well to imitate Germany's employment policy: "A few months ago denouncing Germany's egoism was the thing to do in France and Europe. ... At the end of this summer one still hears such criticisms, nevertheless many countries would do well to emulate a model that has been so effective against the crisis. ... The demographic drop, the crisis-free construction sector and the growth in the number of short-term contracts no doubt partially explain this German employment 'miracle'. But the heart of the matter lies elsewhere. After considerable efforts to boost competitiveness the employment policy worked out with the companies is now bearing fruit." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Germany, » Europe
All available articles from » Dominique Seux

Last week the French and British press suggested that Eurocopter, a subsidiary of European aerospace corporation EADS, could shift its activities from Romania to the UK. The helicopter manufacturing and support company, one of the world's largest, could in this way secure a major British contract worth over 300 million pounds. That would mean bad news for Romania, writes the daily Jurnalul National: "Eurocopter entered into a joint venture with [state aeronautics company] IAR Ghimbav in 2002. The company had promised Romania much, including the construction of a factory in Braşov for the twin-engine civil helicopter EC135 and planned sales of more than 100 million euros by 2005. In truth sales amounted to just 26 million in 2009. ... In the meantime the best specialists have left ... and jobs have been cut back. If it meant doing a deal with the UK Eurocopter could put off its plans with Romania even longer." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Romanian)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Corporations, » Economic Policy, » France, » United Kingdom, » Romania
All available articles from » Razvan Belciuganu

According to recent estimates, the Portuguese contribute 90 euros per capita each year towards renewable energies. An expensive but worthwhile investment, the business paper Jornal die Negócios contends: "Is this a lot? Yes, it is. It seems to justify the arguments of those who want to rely on traditional energy sources - so as not to overburden families and companies. But this investment is worthwhile. Firstly because any form of energy is expensive in the initial stages of development. ... Secondly because there is no alternative: the country must achieve the CO2 emission levels proscribed by Brussels by 2020. ... But there is a more important reason for supporting clean energy: the efficiency of their use. There is practically no debate about this when it comes to energy prices. What does this mean? The country's industry must learn to produce more with less energy. ... There is not a single Portuguese company that doesn't complain about being at a competitive disadvantage in comparison to Spain because they have to pay more for electricity here. They should remember that the Danish pay five times as much for their electricity ... yet they're more competitive." (31/08/2010)

» full article (external link, Portuguese)
More from the press review on the subject » Environmental Policy, » Energy, » Portugal, » Europe
All available articles from » Camilo Lourenço

According to the results of police investigations, the killing spree in Bratislava in which among others a Roma family of five was killed was also motivated by racism. The business paper Hospodářské noviny paints a dark picture of the situation of the Roma in Central and Eastern Europe: "In the Czech Republic there are more than 300 'marginalised' Roma settlements. Hungary's police have been very slow in their investigations of cases of murder of Roma in recent years. Every government in Bratislava has tried to somehow solve the Roma problem. But they have been as unsuccessful in finding a solution as their counterparts in Hungary or the Czech Republic. ... Relations between the Roma and the majority population are especially complicated. In Hungary Jobbik became the third-strongest party in the country, wining almost 17 percent of the vote with unabashed anti-Roma and anti-Semitic rhetoric. We must talk about the Roma problem and call things by their right names. And we must not leave this debate to the Jobbik people and similar groups in other Central European countries." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Central Europe, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Martin Ehl

Applications by Somalis wanting to reunite their families are processed very slowly in Finland. Above all the number of immigration applications for 13-year-old to 17-year-old foster girls has risen considerably. While the Finnish Interior Ministry suspects human trafficking, the daily Helsingin Sanomat warns against unfounded mistrust: "If the practice of reuniting families is more relaxed in Finland than in other European countries it will certainly influence the number of applications. And if there is only one person processing applications in Addis Abeba and questioning people wanting to travel to Finland, bottlenecks are inevitable. ... Even without ulterior motives the Somalis living in Finland have good reason to bring children and youths from Somalia to Finland, regardless of whether they are relatives or former neighbours. Seeing as girls face more dangers than boys there are also natural reasons for why the proportion of girls is large. It seems as if no one wants to take responsibility for the deficiencies in the system for reuniting families." (01/09/2010)

» full article (external link, Finnish)
More from the press review on the subject » Migration, » Integration, » Demographics, » Finland