euro|topics - Roger Cohen

07/09/2008

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Cohen, Roger

2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

International Herald Tribune - France | 14/02/2008

The Kosovo before independence

Columnist Roger Cohen sees cause for celebration in the imminent independence of Kosovo, though "Serbia will rail against what its prime minister calls 'this fictitious state on Serbian territory,' and the Russian bear will growl, and Balkan tensions will flare for a while ... . The fact is the independence of Kosovo is justified, unique and unavoidable. ... Serbia lost a nationalist gamble on Kosovo a long time ago; the differences stemming from it are unbridgeable. Further delay of the inescapable can only damage the region. ... European Union foreign ministers meet Monday and may agree on a 'platform' statement saying conditions for recognition have been met. A clear majority of the 27 European Union members - certainly no less than 20 - are expected to recognize Kosovo rapidly. ...Unanimity would be nice but broad consensus is sufficient. ... More important, the United States and Europe will march in step, not a frequent occurrence of late."

International Herald Tribune - France | 25/10/2007

Should Europeans commit more to Afghanistan?

Roger Cohen would like the 3200 German troops in Afghanistan to get more involved in the counterinsurgency fights. "The German Bundestag this month approved the extension of the German mission for another year. But Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has not visited Afghanistan, prefers talk of trendy eco-problems. Tenuous German support for deployment here is tied to the mission maintaining the 'caveats' with which it began: The army is here to help with security, reconstruction and good governance from a northern base. Building schools should be more central to ISAF than killing Taliban. Soft power trumps hard power. ... But this under-resourced mission, on which NATO's future hinges, needs switch-hitters. Rigid interpretation of mandates ill serves a changing situation. ... If, for example, the Germans, Italians and Spanish were more flexible, some of their troops could be detached to provide a strategic reserve for the stormy south."

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