EDITORIAL : THE NEW YORK TIMES, USA

Malign Neglect

Extraordinary rendition — the abduction of foreigners, often innocent ones, by American agents who sent them to countries well known for torturing prisoners — was central to President George W. Bush’s antiterrorism policy. His administration then used wildly broad claims of state secrets to thwart any accountability for this immoral practice.

President Obama has adopted the same legal tactic of using the secrecy privilege to kill lawsuits. So the only hope was that the courts would not permit these widely known abuses of power to go unchecked.

Last Monday, the Supreme Court abdicated that duty. It declined to review a case brought by five individuals who say — credibly — that they were kidnapped and tortured in overseas prisons. The question was whether people injured by illegal interrogation and detention should be allowed their day in court or summarily tossed out.

The court’s choice is a major stain on American justice. By slamming its door on these victims without explanation, it removed the essential judicial block against the executive branch’s use of claims of secrecy to cover up misconduct that shocks the conscience. It has further diminished any hope of obtaining a definitive ruling that the government’s conduct was illegal — a vital step for repairing damage and preventing future abuses.

The lead plaintiff, an Ethiopian citizen and resident of Britain named Binyam Mohamed, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002. The C.I.A. turned him over to Moroccan interrogators, who subjected him to brutal treatment that he says included cutting his penis with a scalpel and then pouring a hot, stinging liquid on the open wound.

After the trial court gave in to the secrecy argument, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the case should proceed. It said the idea that the executive branch was entitled to have lawsuits shut down with a blanket claim of national security would “effectively cordon off all secret actions from judicial scrutiny, immunizing the C.I.A. and its partners from the demands and limits of the law.”

Last September, the full appeals court, ruling en banc, reversed that decision by a 6-to-5 vote. The dissenters noted that the basic facts of the plaintiffs’ renditions were already public knowledge. But the majority gave in to the pretzel logic shaped by the Bush administration that allowing the torture victims a chance to make their case in court using nonsecret evidence would risk divulging state secrets.

The Supreme Court allowed that nonsense to stand.

It is difficult to believe there are legitimate secrets regarding the plaintiffs’ ill treatment at this late date. Last year, a British court released secret files containing the assessment of British intelligence that the detention of Mr. Mohamed violated legal prohibitions against torture and cruel and degrading treatment.

The Supreme Court should have grabbed the case and used it to rein in the distorted use of the state secrets privilege, a court-created doctrine meant to shield sensitive evidence in actions against the government, not to dismiss cases before evidence is produced.

But this is not the first time the Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility to hear cases involving national security questions of this sort. A year ago, the Supreme Court refused to consider the claims of Maher Arar, an innocent Canadian whom the Bush administration sent to Syria to be tortured. In 2007, the court could not muster the four votes needed to grant review in the case of Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen subjected to torture in a secret overseas prison.

As President Obama’s first solicitor general, Justice Elena Kagan was in on the benighted decision to use overwrought secrecy claims to stop any hearing for torture victims. She properly recused herself from voting on the case. Surely among the eight remaining judges there was at least one sensitive to the gross violation of rights, and apparently law. We wish they would have at least offered a dissent or comment to let the world know that the court’s indifference was not unanimous.

Instead, what the world sees is rendition victims blocked from American courts while architects of their torment write books bragging about their role in this legal and moral travesty. Some torture victims bounced from American courts, including Mr. Mohamed and Mr. Arar, have received money from nations with comparatively minor involvement in their ordeals.

The Supreme Court’s action ends an important legal case, but not President Obama’s duty to acknowledge what occurred, and to come up with ways to compensate torture victims and advance accountability. It is hard, right now, to be optimistic.

Haunted by Their Medicare Vote

Democrats insist they have a chance of regaining the House next year. It will not be easy, but the Republican plan to radically reshape Medicare is alienating fence-sitting voters and highlighting the sharp differences between the two parties’ visions of government.

The Medicare argument has certainly been potent in New York’s 26th District, in the Buffalo-Rochester area, where a special election will be held on Tuesday to fill the seat of Christopher Lee, who resigned. Though the district is strongly Republican, the Democratic candidate, Kathleen Hochul, the Erie County clerk, is competitive. The Republican, Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, has had to struggle to defend a highly unpopular policy. The presence of a third candidate, from the Tea Party, is also a large factor in the closeness of the race.

In a televised debate on Wednesday, Ms. Hochul repeatedly accused Ms. Corwin of supporting the House Republican plan to create a voucher system, which, she said, would “effectively decimate” Medicare. Ms. Corwin responded that the plan proposed by Representative Paul Ryan did not involve an actual paper voucher, which is beside the point.

Mr. Ryan would end the government’s guaranteed payment for a set of medical services for the elderly, changing to a system in which the government would simply help the elderly buy private insurance. If health costs went up beyond what insurance would pay, tough luck. Ms. Corwin defended that by saying it would prevent Medicare’s inevitable bankruptcy.

She tried to sow confusion, arguing that Ms. Hochul and the Democrats wanted to cut hundreds of millions from Medicare. That argument helped defeat many Democrats in 2010, but the changes in health care reform pale in comparison to a plan that would leave Medicare unrecognizable. Beyond calling Ms. Hochul a “career
politician,” Ms. Corwin had little to say when she was accused of “balancing our budget on the backs of seniors” while continuing huge tax breaks for the wealthy and oil companies.

An anti-Corwin ad, paid for by unions, shows a Medicare card going up in flames, and it is likely to become a familiar image in many Congressional races next year. Democratic robo-calls are already pushing the Medicare issue hard in districts across the country.

Republican House members brought this on themselves by voting nearly unanimously for the Ryan plan, so caught up in ideological fervor and hubris that they failed to anticipate the inevitable voter backlash. While the House leadership has acknowledged that the Medicare plan will not pass, the party will not allow any dissent. When Newt Gingrich called the plan “right-wing social engineering,” he was all but shunned from the presidential nomination race, and was forced to recant and apologize.

Democrats cannot ignore the fiscal drain from Medicare. President Obama is right that the government needs to do a lot more to restrain the growth in Medicare spending. But there is a huge difference between looking for efficiencies and other reforms and privatizing Medicare. A sense of buyers’ remorse in districts across the country is allowing Democrats to make a newly vigorous pitch.

Tomorrow to Pastures New

For the past 13 years, my horses have gazed across a gravel road toward a neighbor’s pasture, where her horses stand, gazing back. Kinship, affinity, species recognition, herd instinct, longing — I don’t know what to call this habit. But by the time you read this, my neighbor and I will have moved my horses into her pasture. She has plenty of extra grass, and my land can use a rest.

There will be some sorting out necessary. I wonder where my neighbor’s mule will come in the pecking order, and whether her thoroughbred will defer to Remedy, the boss of my small herd. We shall see. What I really wonder is what my horses will think and feel — that’s the only way I can put it — when they find themselves turned loose in a pasture they’ve spent such a long time contemplating. They’ve traveled widely over the years, to Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. But to them, I suppose, that pasture across the road is 13 horse-years distant.

Their absence will give me a chance to do some serious re-fencing and takedown of dead trees. I plan to cut up all my rotting post and rail fences into stove-lengths, which I will burn cheerfully next winter. I can do some re-seeding, and if I had sheep I would turn them loose in my pastures to eat the plants my horses won’t eat.

The horses will be only a hundred yards up the road but mostly out of sight. Now that they are going, I realize how often I look at them. I have gazed at them as steadily as they have gazed at their neighbors across the road. They draw me out of myself. My thoughts turn into the cowbirds wandering among the horses’ hooves.

I look forward to walking up the road to see how the horses are doing and how the new herd is settling down. Will they be grazing in the far reaches of the new pasture? Or will they stand, all five of them, by the roadside fence, gazing back across the road at my empty pastures, wondering how this monumental change came to be?

EDITORIAL : THE TAIPEI TIMES, TAIWAN

Corporate governance needs work

In Taiwan, listed companies usually hold their annual general meeting (AGM) in May or June in order to present to their shareholders their performance and outlook, as well as to answer shareholder questions.

The problem is that many shareholders have found it difficult to attend the AGMs and are therefore unable to exercise their rights. This is because some listed companies schedule their AGMs according to the lunar calendar, choosing specific dates that are said to be auspicious. Despite widespread criticism that such practices breach shareholders’ rights and interests as well as infringe on corporate governance principles, in the past few years it has remained common to see hundreds of listed companies holding their AGMs on the same date. On June 13, 2008 there were, believe it or not, more than 600 listed companies holding an AGM.

However, consulting the lunar calendar to set a date for an AGM could just be a way for companies to discourage shareholders from attending. A conspiracy theory might propose that companies dislike “unwelcome shareholders” making embarrassing statements or throwing challenging questions at executives during meetings. Therefore, scheduling all the AGMs on the same date could either exhaust shareholders or make it impossible for them to attend.

To find a solution to this scheduling problem, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has since last year allowed only 200 listed companies to hold an AGM on any single date. Beginning this year, absentee shareholders can also use electronic voting to have a say on who sits on the board and other matters that affect their interests. Based on the FSC’s proposal, listed companies that have market capitalization of NT$10 billion (US$347.6 million) and above would be required to adopt electronic voting measures from next year.

These efforts to help shareholders deal with AGM scheduling are just the first steps toward improving corporate governance. However, a draft amendment to the Company Act (公司法) passed by the Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee on Thursday may have achieved the opposite effect, as the amendment restricts shareholders from raising motions during an AGM if they own less than 1 percent of shares in the listed company.

The spirit of the amendment is to maintain order at listed companies’ AGMs and to prevent the meetings from descending into chaotic scenes with “unwelcome shareholders” deliberately tabling numerous motions to disrupt the meetings. The government has claimed that Taiwan is not the only country to restrict minority shareholders from raising motions during AGMs; many foreign countries have adopted similar measures already. Unfortunately, this amendment overlooks the fact that the Taiwanese stock market is made up of mostly small and individual investors, while institutional investors have become the backbone of foreign stock markets.

Second, the Company Act requires shareholders to submit proposals for inclusion in the meeting agenda days before scheduled AGMs and under certain procedures. The law has already restricted shareholders from tabling motions on important issues at AGMs, thus the draft amendment only further limits the rights of minority shareholders; it is not designed to maintain order at the meetings, but to protect the listed companies.

EDITORIAL : THE EL UNIVERSAL, COLOMBIA

Santos criminalizará los bloqueos de vías

En Bolívar, el bloqueo de vías más reciente fue en Malagana por la muerte de dos jóvenes que viajaban a toda velocidad en una moto y se estrellaron contra una camioneta -bien conducida- que entraba a una gasolinera. El paro pretendía obligar a las autoridades a construir reductores de velocidad en el tramo urbano del pueblo.

En este caso, como en muchos otros, la gente busca el ahogado río arriba porque el problema no es tanto que los vehículos pasen rápidamente por el pueblo, sino que los habitantes de Malagana, como los de los demás pueblos del Caribe y quizá de Colombia, convirtieron las carreteras nacionales en una extensión de sus casas y patios. Allí pretenden vender frutas, comida y objetos, aparcar carros, camiones y sobre todo, motos, además de convertir el asfalto en área social. Crean una pista de obstáculos y zigzags más peligrosos que la velocidad.

Los motociclistas, y los mototaxistas en particular, torturan a los habitantes y al tráfico de la troncal en Malagana y en el resto de Bolívar -en Turbaco hay más y son peor comportados- por su irresponsabilidad: emergen al pavimento de cualquier bocacalle, sin parar; andan como locos entre los peatones; se paran en paralelo a conversar sobre la vía; sobrepasan en cualquier lugar y por cualquier lado; suenan el pito a toda hora para atraer pasajeros; y para rematar, no suelen usar casco. Los dos jóvenes que murieron en Malagana llevaban la cabeza desnuda.

La ineficiencia de las distintas entidades gubernamentales (locales, departamentales y nacionales) desespera a la gente, mientras la falta generalizada de autoridad hace de los bloqueos una herramienta expedita para que la comunidad sea escuchada. Mientras las autoridades negocian o llega la Policía en cantidad suficiente para disolverlos, los paros viales ya han hecho un daño considerable al resto de la población.

Una vía bloqueada irregularmente le niega a la gente el derecho constitucional a moverse libremente. Esta inmovilidad inesperada e ilegal puede tener consecuencias graves: quien va a cerrar un negocio puede dejar de hacerlo; se puede perder un bus que sale fuera de la ciudad o un vuelo, ambos eventos planeados de antemano y siempre importantes para quienes viajan; o quien va de urgencia para una clínica puede morir.

El presidente Santos propone criminalizar los bloqueos de vías porque atentan contra el bien común, especialmente cuando el invierno ha interrumpido tantas carreteras importantes en el país. Está muy bien que lo haga, pero para ser justo, también debería criminalizar la conducta de los funcionarios politiqueros e indolentes cuya gestión pésima suele estar en la raíz de la mayoría de las protestas populares.

EDITORIAL : THE ASHARQ ALAWSAT, SAUDI ARABIA, published in LONDON

Obama's speech: No "allies"

If a major headline or summary could be taken from US President Barack Obama's speech [on the Middle East] it would be the clear message he sent to the regional countries, namely that if your people do not stand with you, then we [the US] will not stand with you! This was the guarantee that Obama made in his speech, which means that we are facing a new form of relations between the US and Middle East states.

During Obama's 5,761 word speech, he only used the terms allies twice, which is something that we must pay close attention to; once when he was talking about the NATO forces in Libya, and once when talking about the project to provide economic support to Tunisia and Egypt in coordination with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Obama also only used the term "ally" once, when describing the relationship between Syria and Iran. This is an important indication, and evidence of a change in Washington's strategy in the region. This change goes beyond Obama's words about the Palestinian cause and the 1967 borders. We are not playing down what he said [about the Palestinian cause], but everything must be put in its proper context, for Obama's talk about the 1967 borders represent a slap in the face for [Israeli prime minister] Netanyahu, as Obama has taken an important negotiating card out of his hands. We all know that there can be no peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians that does not include the 1967 borders, which is something that exposes Hamas's political stupidity…that's right, stupidity! Hamas deserve to be described in this manner for the position they took on Obama's speech, and their statement that the US president's reference to the Palestinian cause amounted to "throwing dust in the eyes." Hamas issued this statement whilst Obama was still shaking audience members hands before leaving the Benjamin Franklin room at the US State Department, so what would have happened if Hamas was silent for a single day?

Accordingly, the most important thing in Obama's speech, as we mentioned above, is that regional states and regimes will need to deal with the US differently, both diplomatically and politically, after Obama explicitly announced that Washington's strategy in the region will now be based upon reform and change, women's rights, and freedoms. It is not important here whether the US president is basing this change in US strategy upon an accurate understanding of the region or not, what is important is that Obama means what he says, and has made his decision. The proof of this can be seen in what the US president himself said in his speech, he said that America was founded through a rebellion against an empire, and that the people of America fought a painful Civil War to extend freedom and dignity to those who were enslaved, even stressing that he would not be standing before his people today as president if this were not the case. What this clearly means is that regardless of whether or not Obama is aware of the nature of the region, he has – rightly or wrong – made his decision to stand with the movements for change in the region, rather than supporting the traditional political alliances. Obama said that he will not accept "the world as it is in the region" but rather that he is pursuing "the world as it should be." This is a huge and unprecedented change, and it will have a huge impact on the region. Accordingly, we saw Obama talk about the hypocrisy of the Iranian regime, and this is after he has been extending his hand to Tehran over the past two years, without Tehran ever reciprocating this gesture. We also saw him using harsh rhetoric when speaking about the Syrian president, saying that he should lead a transition [to democracy], or get out of the way.

From here, we can say that our region has changed, and that the manner in which regional countries deal with the US will also change. This is something that requires a lot from our regional states, particularly prudence. As for the repressive regional states like Syria, Libya, and Yemen, their fate is sealed, whether this occurs sooner or later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY OUTLOOK, AFGANISTAN

                

 

Success of Reconciliation with Taliban

Recently the US Special Envoy for AfPak, Marc Grossman has said that all the insurgent factions in Afghanistan will not join the peace process. He said despite the efforts to reach out for negotiations, there will be people who will never reconcile and they must be defeated militarily.
It's a very realistic public admission of the US Special Envoy about the reconciliation process. Recently there have been reports in the US media about direct US talks with Taliban. Though the so-called Taliban spokesman has denied, there have been such improvements. But it is still limited to the initial talks about talks.

Taliban have intensified their attacks. This week has proved very deadly with dozens of deaths in Khost, Takhar and Kabul. The Taliban Al-Badar operations continue terror, without a single sign of their willingness to ceasefire, if ready for serious talks. Yet also, they have not signaled alienation from Al-Qaeda, about which the speculations were high following the death of Osama bin Laden. They have not only condemned and condoled his death, but also a series of attacks have been launched to avenge Osama's death. This is not show of any willingness or success in the talks.

The process of reconciliation should have limits with those to hold talks. For instance, the Haqqani Network of Taliban is blacklisted by the US, and they are part of Al-Qaeda on ground. Such other elements can never be included in reconciliation.

On the other hand, the international stake holders including the US who are making direct contacts with Taliban should not carry it as a unilateral process. Taliban have not only problem with foreign troops, and the US. Those Afghans who resisted Taliban when they hosted Osama and fought against them in front lines for years are ones who have the most concerns even today.

President Karzai's Peace Council has been making visits and meetings from Maldives to Turkey, during the last couple of months, but nothing has come out of their efforts yet. And this Council certainly do not fully represent all the segments of Afghan society. The anti-Taliban opposition forces are being ignored. Such a process, even if successful in making talks with Taliban and eventually a deal, will not succeed in long-term and instability will always be a concern in Afghanistan, not only for Afghans, but for the region and the international community too.

In reality, the Peace Council has been nothing more than a symbolic body to give face to President Karzai's intra-tribal-like dealing of affairs. If concerns of the anti-Taliban constituency among Afghans are not met, any deals or talks won't bring stability in Afghanistan.

The Beneficiary of Mistakes

Reportedly, the NATO officials believe that Afghan security forces will be competent, by the end of 2014, to defend Afghanistan on their own and the same is maintained by Afghan officials in Ministries of Defense and Interior. Should this be true, it is a music in the ears of Afghan people. But it seems like the gap between claims and ground realities are widening as armed opponent groups now in every corner of Afghanistan launching attacks almost wherever they want.

The Ministry of Defense officials have said there would be public awareness programs aimed at achieving public cooperation to the Afghan Police and Army. There is no doubt that large number of people is supporting the Afghan forces by reporting about suspicious people and whatsoever they see as leading to a terror attack.

But at the same time there are people in Afghanistan who still support the Taliban and cooperate with them in launching attacks on government and national and international forces. There are intensive trainings of the Afghan force under way and more than $ 11 billion is anticipated to be invested on them in 2011 only and military authorities hope that by 2014 Afghans can take all security of responsibilities on their own. However, experts think the other way. The period during which the Afghan soldiers are expected to nurture to a satisfactorily level is conceived too short. For their training and equipping process, more time needs to be considered – at least ten years.

The transition process which has been regarded as 'real process' by US President Barack Obama, is deemed to be starting soon. All eyes are on the strategic partnership between Afghanistan and the US. All know that the problems in Afghanistan need a long term international engagement and the beneficiary of any mistakes would be the insurgents. And it's a big mistake leaving Afghanistan without turning Afghan Army into competent force like the armies of the countries in the region. Without that, there are probabilities that Afghanistan will once again fall in the hands of extremists.

Protests in Afghanistan Turning Violent

As much as the civilian killings are condemnable, violent protests are also to be condemned at the same level. Previous experiences have shown that a demonstration against a civilian killing incident accompanied by violence has taken the lives of more people than the incident itself.

Protest is among the recognized rights of humans. This implies that, the people of Afghanistan have the right to protest too. But in Afghanistan protests are turning extremely violent. The protests, a month ago, in Mazar-e-Sharif and Kandahar against the burning of a copy of Quran by a US pastor took lives of tens of innocent people including eight UN employees. There are many other instances of violent demonstrations in past but the reason is one i.e. the killing of civilians by Afghan and/or NATO forces. Each time civilians are targeted, the anger of people is triggered which brings them on the roads to protest.

Last week, more than a dozen people were killed and many others were injured in Taloqan protests against the killings of two men and two women in a raid by NATO forces. Although the statement by NATO has pronounced the four as insurgents, people including the governor of Takhar province say they were civilians.

As much as the civilian killing is condemnable, violent protests are also to be condemned at the same level. Previous experiences have shown that a demonstration against a civilian killing incident accompanied by violence has taken the lives of more people than the incident itself. Protests have turned into another mean for insurgents to reach their objectives. Common people joining the protests do not hold weapons; it is the insurgents who use protests as a platform to promote fear and insurgency. Investigations found that the Mazar-e-Sharif protest was actually organized by the Taliban members who had joined the peace reconciliation program initiated by Hamid Karzai's administration.

Only condemnation of violent incidents is not enough, practical measures are required to be taken. The incidents where NATO has killed civilians have been mostly born by wrong intelligence reporting by the local agents. It is perceived that the reason for wrong reporting is majorly because agents tend to fulfill their own personal enmities.

It has been the habit of our government that it sends a team for the purpose of reporting on the incidents such as that in Taloqan. Most of the times, these reports are not comprehensive. Even if it is, they are not made public and are not followed by remedial plans. Of course, the incident of Taloqan condemned by the government and has already sent a team of investigators, but nothing will happen and the pains of the victims will heal by the passage of the time until another such incident happens.

EDITORIAL : THE KHALEEJ TIMES, UAE

Stalemate in Yemen

Yemen’s crisis is in a deadlock mode. President Ali Abdullah Al Saleh is defiant, and seems to be unrelenting in signing on the dotted line proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The regional deal ensures an end to his decades-long rule and at the same time foresees transition of power in a peaceful manner by holding elections, accordingly. Having adopted delaying tactics for long, Saleh has now come out with another stunt, calling for early presidential elections. This is like putting the cart before the horse and literally derails all the political initiatives to find an amicable way out of the mess in Yemen. The four-month long protest, which has claimed hundreds of lives, and the ensuing unrest was meant against the reigning dictatorship of Saleh, and had bisected the poor and ungovernable country into sharp ethnic and sectarian flanks. Tactics such as these are bound to flare the sentiments, further plunging the country in chaos 
and uncertainty.

It is quite unfortunate that Saleh is not reading the writing on the wall. The opposition against him is not merely political but has swollen in rank and file to various tribes countrywide. This is why the divide that was there in the form of north and south has now given way to a broader uprising with the one point agenda of seeing Saleh’s exit. Taking into account the fissures that are sweeping across the region, it would have been prudent of the president to see rationale and respect in bowing before the GCC, which guaranteed him an honourable exit within 30 days of signing and that too after appointing a caretaker government under his nose in consultation with the opposition. At least, Saleh should have seen a reason in stopping short of disgracing his own political party and supporters, who would find themselves in the wood if Saleh were forced to stand down. Once having agreed to the salient features of the GCC deal, Saleh’s ploy that he would sign it in his capacity as party chief and not as the president of the republic is disgusting — and is more than enough to surpass the tolerance level of his opponents.

This impasse in Sanaa is in need of being addressed. The GCC-backed meditation is a blessing in disguise and should be made to succeed. The regional countries and the respective leadership can do well by engaging themselves personally so that the stalemate comes to an end, and the upheaval is addressed in a pacific political manner. Saleh after three decades of rule stands to gain prestige and privilege even if he steps down in all humility.

The anti-NATO protests

The furore in Afghanistan over the latest NATO attack that killed four Afghans, including two women, has caught on with another round of protests being staged in Taloqan.

An earlier protest had led to the deaths of 12 people as the situation got out of control when security forces opened fire to stop almost 2,000 enraged protesters from looting and attacking a German base.  Though there has been growing resentment against the foreign forces with every strike in which the civilians have been killed, the unusual thing about these protests is that these have taken place in the largely peaceful province of Takhar.

In addition, the Afghan government’s denial of the last NATO attack having been a joint operation has been challenged by the international security alliance. Kabul, of course, would not like to be associated with any operation that may trigger an anti-government drive at this point. President Hamid Karzai has been a vocal critic of the civilian killings at the hands of the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF).

In fact, the Afghan leader has raised this issue at every forum, urging the need to avoid any civilian death for the implications for both Kabul and the allies’ war efforts.  Despite the constant warnings, and the earlier military focus on avoiding civilian casualties, one finds a regression in practice. Over the past many months there has been an increase in civilian deaths.

The problem is bigger than just quelling an odd protest in one part or the other. With the war entering a decisive phase, the insurgents are also likely to exploit the public sentiments against the Coalition. An effective mobilisation against the foreign forces may prove highly detrimental for both the Coalition and the government. While military strategists and those on the battlefront are not incorrect in explaining the difficulty in avoiding civilian casualties, it does not justify the killings. Accepting Western forces who are largely viewed as occupying forces has been hard enough for the Afghans. On top they have to contend with the massacre of women and children and unarmed civilians in accidental fire or night strikes. 

It is time that the coalition understand the necessity of separating short-term possible gains from firing wildly at presumed insurgents and relying more on human intelligence and planning operations against confirmed insurgent strongholds or hideouts.

 

EDITORIAL : THE TODAY'S ZAMAN, TURKEY

        

 

SPK and the development of Turkish capital markets

Since its establishment, the Capital Markets Board (SPK) of Turkey has been dedicated to its role of regulating and supervising the Turkish capital markets in accordance with international norms and standards in a continuously changing market environment with clear, objective and easily apprehensible approaches in order to ensure that capital markets are fair, secure, transparent and efficient.

The board continued in 2010 to carry out its regulatory and supervisory activities in line with its above-mentioned mission and vision.  After one of the biggest financial crisis in world history, while the recovery in the global economy continued in 2010, Turkey, with a growth rate of nearly 9 percent last year, has succeeded in attracting the world’s attention as the fastest growing country among Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) countries. While the problematic economic and financial structures of the member-states of the European Union were a matter of concern, a positive performance in the last period and a reduced budget deficit and debt stock made our country one of the shining stars of the world. The improvement in the economy has led credit rating agencies to upgrade Turkey’s credit rating, thought it still remains lower than it should be, and it has increased confidence in the future of our economy in the national and international arena.  This success, no doubt, is due to the restructuring of the management and audit system along with the experience we gained and lessons we learned from the past crisis. The reform process our financial system went through over the last decade, serves as a role model for other countries, primarily the US and member-states of the European Union that have been seeking solutions to their problems.  Concerning Turkish capital markets, the year 2010, along with positive developments in the Turkish economy, was significant for reviving public offerings due to the promotional activities and seminars conducted within the scope of a public offering campaign. As a result of the work performed in order to ease and accelerate public offering procedures by the board, leading Turkish companies and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) were encouraged to go public. When compared to the past, a rapid increase in the volume of public offerings took place. In 2010, 22 companies offered their shares to the public. Besides the new public offerings, great importance was also attached to the development of the corporate bond market; hence, more than 30 corporate bonds were sold to investors as a result of the activities carried out by the board.  In 2010, the intermediary firms’ warrants, aimed at protecting stock market investments from excessive price fluctuations, and the lease certificate as an alternative instrument for the emerging markets were introduced as new capital market instruments.  On the other hand, in the light of all these developments, the regulations enacted for enabling the trading of foreign capital market instruments in Turkish capital markets seem to have had positive effects. This directly resulted in accelerating the integration of Turkish capital markets into global markets, increasing the variety of instruments in Turkish capital markets as well as contributing to the creation of market depth.  Besides regulation to increase product range, the scope of activities of venture capital investment trusts was extended, and necessary regulations were enacted to accelerate the public offering process of real estate investment trusts. The instruments in which pension investment funds and investment funds may invest were also diversified. Furthermore, regulations were made to enhance competition in the mutual funds sector and the establishment process of the Appraisal Experts Union was completed.  Meanwhile, in 2010, the board started to use the electronic signature system in the capital adequacy system for monitoring the financial status of intermediary firms The aim of using this system is to decrease the costs of intermediary firms and to increase the efficiency of monitoring activities as well as to decrease bureaucratic correspondence.  Parallel to our country’s increasing prestige abroad, there have also been significant developments in activities in the international arena. Through the Emerging Markets Committee (EMC), of which the SPK has been holding the chairman position since June 2010, an active role has been undertaken in the restructuring activities of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO).  Furthermore, the SPK became eligible to participate on behalf of the IOSCO in the meetings of Financial Stability Board (FSB), which contributes to studies of the G20. The reports prepared under the leadership of or contributed by the board are considered reference documents for the creation of new financial architecture and determination of standards in different international platforms.  In addition the board was accepted as a member of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR) and the Islamic Financial Services Board in 2010. In order to assume a more active role within the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), necessary actions were taken to establish a forum among capital market authorities in order to carry out studies under the leadership of the board. In that regard, it has been decided that a conference be organized by the board in the second half of 2011.   In addition to all these developments, cooperation agreements were signed with the institutions responsible for capital market regulation and supervision in Malaysia, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates. In order to promote our capital markets and to explore cooperation opportunities with our counterparts, a Turkish delegation including representatives from the İstanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Takasbank, Turkdex and the Central Registry Agency (MKK) paid an official visit to Malaysia. Also, seminars and promotional meetings on Turkish capital markets were held by the board in South Korea with the participation of South Korean capital market intermediary institutions and fund managers.  In an economic conjuncture where Turkey is expected to become one of the top 10 largest economies in the world by 2023, the international efficiency of financial authorities and other related institutions in Turkey is expected to increase accordingly. Within this process, it is inevitable for our banks and intermediary institutions to have a regional efficiency in conformity with increased interest. As the EMC chair, we aim to establish much closer cooperation with countries in the region and emerging markets. Thus, we also plan to not only be a pioneer in the implementation of standards adopted by the international agencies to which the board has been party and an active participant, but also to have a leading role in that regard for other countries. Within this framework, our target is to develop common projects, especially with the OECD, and carry out preparatory work for the signing of mutual collaboration agreements.  In 2011, in the second phase of the Public Offering Campaign, a series of new activities have been planned in order to inform existing and potential investors about capital markets and instruments. In the coming period, we will continue to inform a wide variety of people from school-aged children to the elderly on capital markets and investments through the implementation of various projects. These activities will contribute to the establishment of the National Strategy, which is aimed at promoting investor education and improving financial literacy nationwide. Moreover, in order to attract the savings of individuals and entities to capital markets and to increase interest in capital markets, we aim to monitor the needs and qualifications of a variety of target groups to provide information through adequate channels of communication and to carry out studies in order to take the necessary precautionary measures  As in the activities carried out last year, we aim to improve and deepen our capital markets through actions planned to be carried out in the next period. In particular the creation of a legal infrastructure to better protect investors’ rights and enhance market trust will attract investors to capital markets. Within this scope, we consider the İstanbul Financial Center Strategy and the action plan announced by the government an important starting point. It is extremely important to fulfill the actions within this plan as quickly as possible and to make İstanbul the center of attraction among capital markets. From this point of view, the process ahead of us provides Turkey with a unique opportunity to establish a global international finance center with ongoing fast development in its capital markets. Using this opportunity efficiently and correctly will be achieved by our board staff and all other participants in the capital markets sector as a whole.

Since its establishment, the Capital Markets Board (SPK) of Turkey has been dedicated to its role of regulating and supervising the Turkish capital markets in accordance with international norms and standards in a continuously changing market environment with clear, objective and easily apprehensible approaches in order to ensure that capital markets are fair, secure, transparent and efficient.

The board continued in 2010 to carry out its regulatory and supervisory activities in line with its above-mentioned mission and vision.  After one of the biggest financial crisis in world history, while the recovery in the global economy continued in 2010, Turkey, with a growth rate of nearly 9 percent last year, has succeeded in attracting the world’s attention as the fastest growing country among Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) countries. While the problematic economic and financial structures of the member-states of the European Union were a matter of concern, a positive performance in the last period and a reduced budget deficit and debt stock made our country one of the shining stars of the world. The improvement in the economy has led credit rating agencies to upgrade Turkey’s credit rating, thought it still remains lower than it should be, and it has increased confidence in the future of our economy in the national and international arena.

Since its establishment, the Capital Markets Board (SPK) of Turkey has been dedicated to its role of regulating and supervising the Turkish capital markets in accordance with international norms and standards in a continuously changing market environment with clear, objective and easily apprehensible approaches in order to ensure that capital markets are fair, secure, transparent and efficient.
 
 The board continued in 2010 to carry out its regulatory and supervisory activities in line with its above-mentioned mission and vision.

 After one of the biggest financial crisis in world history, while the recovery in the global economy continued in 2010, Turkey, with a growth rate of nearly 9 percent last year, has succeeded in attracting the world’s attention as the fastest growing country among Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) countries. While the problematic economic and financial structures of the member-states of the European Union were a matter of concern, a positive performance in the last period and a reduced budget deficit and debt stock made our country one of the shining stars of the world. The improvement in the economy has led credit rating agencies to upgrade Turkey’s credit rating, thought it still remains lower than it should be, and it has increased confidence in the future of our economy in the national and international arena.

 This success, no doubt, is due to the restructuring of the management and audit system along with the experience we gained and lessons we learned from the past crisis. The reform process our financial system went through over the last decade, serves as a role model for other countries, primarily the US and member-states of the European Union that have been seeking solutions to their problems.

 Concerning Turkish capital markets, the year 2010, along with positive developments in the Turkish economy, was significant for reviving public offerings due to the promotional activities and seminars conducted within the scope of a public offering campaign. As a result of the work performed in order to ease and accelerate public offering procedures by the board, leading Turkish companies and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) were encouraged to go public. When compared to the past, a rapid increase in the volume of public offerings took place. In 2010, 22 companies offered their shares to the public. Besides the new public offerings, great importance was also attached to the development of the corporate bond market; hence, more than 30 corporate bonds were sold to investors as a result of the activities carried out by the board.

 In 2010, the intermediary firms’ warrants, aimed at protecting stock market investments from excessive price fluctuations, and the lease certificate as an alternative instrument for the emerging markets were introduced as new capital market instruments.

 On the other hand, in the light of all these developments, the regulations enacted for enabling the trading of foreign capital market instruments in Turkish capital markets seem to have had positive effects. This directly resulted in accelerating the integration of Turkish capital markets into global markets, increasing the variety of instruments in Turkish capital markets as well as contributing to the creation of market depth.

 Besides regulation to increase product range, the scope of activities of venture capital investment trusts was extended, and necessary regulations were enacted to accelerate the public offering process of real estate investment trusts. The instruments in which pension investment funds and investment funds may invest were also diversified. Furthermore, regulations were made to enhance competition in the mutual funds sector and the establishment process of the Appraisal Experts Union was completed.

 Meanwhile, in 2010, the board started to use the electronic signature system in the capital adequacy system for monitoring the financial status of intermediary firms The aim of using this system is to decrease the costs of intermediary firms and to increase the efficiency of monitoring activities as well as to decrease bureaucratic correspondence.

 Parallel to our country’s increasing prestige abroad, there have also been significant developments in activities in the international arena. Through the Emerging Markets Committee (EMC), of which the SPK has been holding the chairman position since June 2010, an active role has been undertaken in the restructuring activities of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO).

 Furthermore, the SPK became eligible to participate on behalf of the IOSCO in the meetings of Financial Stability Board (FSB), which contributes to studies of the G20. The reports prepared under the leadership of or contributed by the board are considered reference documents for the creation of new financial architecture and determination of standards in different international platforms.

 In addition the board was accepted as a member of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR) and the Islamic Financial Services Board in 2010. In order to assume a more active role within the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), necessary actions were taken to establish a forum among capital market authorities in order to carry out studies under the leadership of the board. In that regard, it has been decided that a conference be organized by the board in the second half of 2011. 

 In addition to all these developments, cooperation agreements were signed with the institutions responsible for capital market regulation and supervision in Malaysia, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates. In order to promote our capital markets and to explore cooperation opportunities with our counterparts, a Turkish delegation including representatives from the İstanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Takasbank, Turkdex and the Central Registry Agency (MKK) paid an official visit to Malaysia. Also, seminars and promotional meetings on Turkish capital markets were held by the board in South Korea with the participation of South Korean capital market intermediary institutions and fund managers.

 In an economic conjuncture where Turkey is expected to become one of the top 10 largest economies in the world by 2023, the international efficiency of financial authorities and other related institutions in Turkey is expected to increase accordingly. Within this process, it is inevitable for our banks and intermediary institutions to have a regional efficiency in conformity with increased interest. As the EMC chair, we aim to establish much closer cooperation with countries in the region and emerging markets. Thus, we also plan to not only be a pioneer in the implementation of standards adopted by the international agencies to which the board has been party and an active participant, but also to have a leading role in that regard for other countries. Within this framework, our target is to develop common projects, especially with the OECD, and carry out preparatory work for the signing of mutual collaboration agreements.

 In 2011, in the second phase of the Public Offering Campaign, a series of new activities have been planned in order to inform existing and potential investors about capital markets and instruments. In the coming period, we will continue to inform a wide variety of people from school-aged children to the elderly on capital markets and investments through the implementation of various projects. These activities will contribute to the establishment of the National Strategy, which is aimed at promoting investor education and improving financial literacy nationwide. Moreover, in order to attract the savings of individuals and entities to capital markets and to increase interest in capital markets, we aim to monitor the needs and qualifications of a variety of target groups to provide information through adequate channels of communication and to carry out studies in order to take the necessary precautionary measures  As in the activities carried out last year, we aim to improve and deepen our capital markets through actions planned to be carried out in the next period. In particular the creation of a legal infrastructure to better protect investors’ rights and enhance market trust will attract investors to capital markets. Within this scope, we consider the İstanbul Financial Center Strategy and the action plan announced by the government an important starting point. It is extremely important to fulfill the actions within this plan as quickly as possible and to make İstanbul the center of attraction among capital markets. From this point of view, the process ahead of us provides Turkey with a unique opportunity to establish a global international finance center with ongoing fast development in its capital markets. Using this opportunity efficiently and correctly will be achieved by our board staff and all other participants in the capital markets sector as a whole.

 

Since its establishment, the Capital Markets Board (SPK) of Turkey has been dedicated to its role of regulating and supervising the Turkish capital markets in accordance with international norms and standards in a continuously changing market environment with clear, objective and easily apprehensible approaches in order to ensure that capital markets are fair, secure, transparent and efficient.

The board continued in 2010 to carry out its regulatory and supervisory activities in line with its above-mentioned mission and vision.  After one of the biggest financial crisis in world history, while the recovery in the global economy continued in 2010, Turkey, with a growth rate of nearly 9 percent last year, has succeeded in attracting the world’s attention as the fastest growing country among Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development (OECD) countries. While the problematic economic and financial structures of the member-states of the European Union were a matter of concern, a positive performance in the last period and a reduced budget deficit and debt stock made our country one of the shining stars of the world. The improvement in the economy has led credit rating agencies to upgrade Turkey’s credit rating, thought it still remains lower than it should be, and it has increased confidence in the future of our economy in the national and international arena.  This success, no doubt, is due to the restructuring of the management and audit system along with the experience we gained and lessons we learned from the past crisis. The reform process our financial system went through over the last decade, serves as a role model for other countries, primarily the US and member-states of the European Union that have been seeking solutions to their problems.  Concerning Turkish capital markets, the year 2010, along with positive developments in the Turkish economy, was significant for reviving public offerings due to the promotional activities and seminars conducted within the scope of a public offering campaign. As a result of the work performed in order to ease and accelerate public offering procedures by the board, leading Turkish companies and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) were encouraged to go public. When compared to the past, a rapid increase in the volume of public offerings took place. In 2010, 22 companies offered their shares to the public. Besides the new public offerings, great importance was also attached to the development of the corporate bond market; hence, more than 30 corporate bonds were sold to investors as a result of the activities carried out by the board.  In 2010, the intermediary firms’ warrants, aimed at protecting stock market investments from excessive price fluctuations, and the lease certificate as an alternative instrument for the emerging markets were introduced as new capital market instruments.  On the other hand, in the light of all these developments, the regulations enacted for enabling the trading of foreign capital market instruments in Turkish capital markets seem to have had positive effects. This directly resulted in accelerating the integration of Turkish capital markets into global markets, increasing the variety of instruments in Turkish capital markets as well as contributing to the creation of market depth.  Besides regulation to increase product range, the scope of activities of venture capital investment trusts was extended, and necessary regulations were enacted to accelerate the public offering process of real estate investment trusts. The instruments in which pension investment funds and investment funds may invest were also diversified. Furthermore, regulations were made to enhance competition in the mutual funds sector and the establishment process of the Appraisal Experts Union was completed.  Meanwhile, in 2010, the board started to use the electronic signature system in the capital adequacy system for monitoring the financial status of intermediary firms The aim of using this system is to decrease the costs of intermediary firms and to increase the efficiency of monitoring activities as well as to decrease bureaucratic correspondence.  Parallel to our country’s increasing prestige abroad, there have also been significant developments in activities in the international arena. Through the Emerging Markets Committee (EMC), of which the SPK has been holding the chairman position since June 2010, an active role has been undertaken in the restructuring activities of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO).  Furthermore, the SPK became eligible to participate on behalf of the IOSCO in the meetings of Financial Stability Board (FSB), which contributes to studies of the G20. The reports prepared under the leadership of or contributed by the board are considered reference documents for the creation of new financial architecture and determination of standards in different international platforms.  In addition the board was accepted as a member of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR) and the Islamic Financial Services Board in 2010. In order to assume a more active role within the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), necessary actions were taken to establish a forum among capital market authorities in order to carry out studies under the leadership of the board. In that regard, it has been decided that a conference be organized by the board in the second half of 2011.   In addition to all these developments, cooperation agreements were signed with the institutions responsible for capital market regulation and supervision in Malaysia, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates. In order to promote our capital markets and to explore cooperation opportunities with our counterparts, a Turkish delegation including representatives from the İstanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), Takasbank, Turkdex and the Central Registry Agency (MKK) paid an official visit to Malaysia. Also, seminars and promotional meetings on Turkish capital markets were held by the board in South Korea with the participation of South Korean capital market intermediary institutions and fund managers.  In an economic conjuncture where Turkey is expected to become one of the top 10 largest economies in the world by 2023, the international efficiency of financial authorities and other related institutions in Turkey is expected to increase accordingly. Within this process, it is inevitable for our banks and intermediary institutions to have a regional efficiency in conformity with increased interest. As the EMC chair, we aim to establish much closer cooperation with countries in the region and emerging markets. Thus, we also plan to not only be a pioneer in the implementation of standards adopted by the international agencies to which the board has been party and an active participant, but also to have a leading role in that regard for other countries. Within this framework, our target is to develop common projects, especially with the OECD, and carry out preparatory work for the signing of mutual collaboration agreements.  In 2011, in the second phase of the Public Offering Campaign, a series of new activities have been planned in order to inform existing and potential investors about capital markets and instruments. In the coming period, we will continue to inform a wide variety of people from school-aged children to the elderly on capital markets and investments through the implementation of various projects. These activities will contribute to the establishment of the National Strategy, which is aimed at promoting investor education and improving financial literacy nationwide. Moreover, in order to attract the savings of individuals and entities to capital markets and to increase interest in capital markets, we aim to monitor the needs and qualifications of a variety of target groups to provide information through adequate channels of communication and to carry out studies in order to take the necessary precautionary measures  As in the activities carried out last year, we aim to improve and deepen our capital markets through actions planned to be carried out in the next period. In particular the creation of a legal infrastructure to better protect investors’ rights and enhance market trust will attract investors to capital markets. Within this scope, we consider the İstanbul Financial Center Strategy and the action plan announced by the government an important starting point. It is extremely important to fulfill the actions within this plan as quickly as possible and to make İstanbul the center of attraction among capital markets. From this point of view, the process ahead of us provides Turkey with a unique opportunity to establish a global international finance center with ongoing fast development in its capital markets. Using this opportunity efficiently and correctly will be achieved by our board staff and all other participants in the capital markets sector as a whole.

EDITORIAL : THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD, NEW ZEALAND

Keeping safe in a virtual world

Barely a decade ago the word "virtual" was harmless. It meant "almost", as in "the job is virtually done".

Since the development of social networking, especially Facebook, which in January reported the active membership of almost one in 10 human beings, it has developed a wider application: virtual is the word applied to something that exists online rather than in the real world.

The phrase "virtual life" conjures up playful connotations of interaction with a new community of friends who may, but quite possibly do not, know you in real life.

There is room for make-believe, fantasy and fun. But there is also room for deceit, manipulation and wilful destruction.

The latter possibility has been brought forcefully home in recent weeks with the case of "Facebook predator" Natalia Burgess, who is under police investigation after luring dozens of teenagers and young men into a web of online deceit.

As we report this morning, Burgess is now at last getting the professional care she so obviously needs. But her victims and their supporters now constitute an online, "virtual" lynch mob.

Their reaction is understandable since many of them speak for people who have attempted suicide - one, tragically, succeeded - after communicating with Facebook "friends", who were actually personas created by Burgess. But there is a wider point at issue and bigger lessons to be learned.

Police have attracted some criticism - not all of it unjustified - for being slow off the mark when allegations about Burgess were brought to them. But to be fair the situation is one that the law, which police are charged with upholding, has yet to come to terms with.

Many, if not most, of our children will spend their working lives doing jobs that don't yet exist because they haven't been invented.

It is this technology-driven change, and behaviour, that society may find objectionable or even monstrous, but when such behaviour is still in the process of being defined, we are some way from groping with its moral and ethical implications, and further still from developing criminal and civil codes to regulate it.

As one policeman dealing with the Burgess case remarked to our reporter this week, "there is no law against telling porkies".

Charges that are being considered, among them fraud and misuse of a computer, plainly do not go to the heart of the damage that can be - and allegedly has been - done.

To their credit, the police have joined forces with the independent non-profit group NetSafe to explore ways of using this specific case as an educational tool to raise awareness among teenagers and young people about the dangers that can lurk in the cyberworld.

But, while authorities grapple with the big picture, the responsibilities for looking after the vulnerable at an individual level must remain with families and loved ones.

And if the Burgess case shows us anything, it is that the familiar strategies of the recent past are already out of date. The idea that keeping the family computer in a common area would allow parents to monitor their children's activities has been rendered redundant by laptop technology and internet-connected cellphones (Burgess does not own a computer).

The potential upside of what has gone on is that it could renew parents' resolve to keep in touch with their kids' hopes and fears by cultivating real - not virtual - relationships with them.

Leave breastfeeding mums alone

The late Irish comedian Dave Allen had a good take on the issue of women breastfeeding in public: "Anybody offended by it," he said, "is staring too hard."

His wisdom is worth remembering when considering the case of the Timaru cafe owner who asked a mother to "cover herself" while she breastfed her 3-month-old daughter.

The mother, Megan Fitzgerald, was presumably not being asked to cover herself but rather the visible swell of her breast (her daughter Jada would have been ensuring that the nipple was safely hidden from shocked public view).

Thus "self" becomes a euphemism for the unmentionable "breast". Not only does the mother become synonymous with her breast; she becomes nothing other than her breast. And the act of breastfeeding turns her from a cafe customer going about her business into a threat to public order and good taste.

Allen's point is that somebody sitting near a breastfeeding mother needs to peer quite closely, typically from close-up and above, to get a clear view of anything that might be construed as offensive.

But more important, a nursing mother is, by definition, inoffensive. Engaging in an act recommended by the Health Ministry, protected by the Human Rights Act and endorsed by evolution, she is doing exactly what she is meant to do and she deserves the unconditional approval of society for doing so.

If she were running around the cafe bare-breasted, she might be considered to be engaging in offensive behaviour - although modern fashions, not to mention officially sanctioned parades on Queen St, might argue against such an interpretation.

A nursing mum is in a different league. The Health Ministry's recommendation that mothers should take a shawl to shield the breast and baby in public is an unacceptable concession to the sensibilities of people who need to learn to mind their own business. If they are offended, the cure is in their control: they can - and should - simply look the other way.

EDITORIAL : THE AZZAMAN, IRAQ

Anti-U.S. rebel group lays down arms in Iraq’s Mosul

A rebel group attacking U.S. occupation troops in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul has agreed to lay down arms, a cabinet minister said.

The minister Amer al-Khuzai said the group had no record of attacking Iraqi civilians or troops as its rebels had focused their resistance against U.S. troops.

Khuzai who leads government efforts to bring the disparate armed groups to the negotiating table also said none of the group’s members will prosecuted.

“The group had 300 armed members and their operations are focused on resisting U.S. troops in the Province of Nineveh. They are not implicated in attacks against Iraqi civilians or Iraqi forces,” he said.

The group was known as ‘Saraya al-Jihad’ or “Jihad Battalions.”

“Saraya al-Jihad had agreed to lay down arms and join the reconciliation project,” Khuzai said.

He said the group’s leaders have stressed their faith “in national reconciliation and the political process currently underway in the country.

Mosul, which is the capital of Nineveh Province, has been the scene of violent attacks against U.S. troops and unrest since shortly after the 2003-U.S. invasion.

Khuzai said the government was to arrange a meeting including all the rebel groups that have decided to “lay down arms and become part of national reconciliation and dialogue.”

Five other groups are reported to have agreed to talks with the government and join the political process.

But Khuzai declined to reveal their names or identities.

EDITORIAL : RFI english, FRANCE

 

 

French press review

 

 

As former IMF chief Dominque Strauss-Kahn goes under house arrest in a New York apartment,  the newspapers are once again devoted to his rise and fall.

Le Figaro opens with the big news that the ex-IMF chief is out of Rikers Island prison, released and placed on house arrest after being charged with sexual assault. “Strauss-Kahn, resident” is the headline in Libération.

Dossier: Strauss-Kahn

But Le Figaro points to last minute complications that marred the transfer. The newspaper narrates the stressful wait in prison after the original plan for him to live in a plush Manhattan apartment fell through.
Le Figaro says residents of the complex refused to accept him as a neighbour. Libé reports that the judge agreed to allow him move into a temporary place near Ground Zero offering the same maximum security conditions.
Le Monde takes up the charges facing the ex-IMF chief as he prepares to appear in court in June.
That will be on 6 June according to Le Monde. The newspaper recalls that he is indicted on all seven charges related to the alleged sexual assault and attempted rape of the maid last Saturday in his luxury suite at Manhattan's Sofitel hotel.
Strauss-Kahn has denied all the charges and is expected to plead not guilty, according to the paper.
Le Monde also reports that US media say police have taken forensic evidence from the hotel, including bodily fluids found on a section of rug where the alleged victim remembered spitting after she says Strauss-Kahn assaulted her and forced her to perform oral sex.
His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said earlier this week the evidence "will not be consistent with a forcible encounter", suggesting the defense was preparing to go to trial and could argue that whatever happened was consensual.
estimates Strauss-Kahn could spend up to 3 million dollars on rents, his house arrest, lawyers fees and on the hiring of detectives.
The Strauss-Kahn case has opened a debate on the differences between the French and American judicial systems.
Le Monde sought the opinion of respected French magistrate Denis Salas.
He picks out disparities in the indictment procedure noting that under American law, the prosecution goes out swinging to wear down the suspect through stress, debts and humiliation.
Magistrate Salas pointed to the disgraceful manner in which Strauss-Kahn has been treated and the general impression here in France that the whole procedure has been brutal despite the defendant’s rights to presumed innocence.
Le Monde also raises ethical questions about the conduct of the media during its coverage of the Strauss-Kahn affaire.
The independent newspaper faults the press for turning the nightmare of a suspected criminal into a soap opera that sent Strauss-Kahn’s enemies into feats of ecstasy and his supporters reeling in disgust.
notes that the Strauss-Kahn thriller even stole a march on the Cannes Film Festival as stake-holders rushed their engagements and rescheduled others in order not to miss live television of the trial.
Le Monde insists that the media 'coming out', according to the newspaper, has undermined the rigours of transparency, vacillated the values of truth and fuelled the proliferation of conspiracy theories in France about the Strauss-Kahn affair.
The judicial problems of Monsieur Strauss-Kahn and his prolonged absence from France has reopened what could be a damaging dispute about the Socialist Party’s presidential primaries.
Le Monde claims that his political galaxy is deeply devastated following the dramatic downfall. Le Figaro comments that while Strauss-Kahnians are looking elsewhere to revive their political fortunes, others are digging in, hoping for a miraculous resurrection of their champion.
Some of Strauss-Kahn’s disciples even want the Socialist presidential primaries to be delayed.
Le Monde holds that the party has cast out the devil and since moved on, its eyes now focussed on finding a new flag-bearer to lead them to what is widely seen as a winnable election come 2012.
The so-called emerging nations are clamouring for the IMF post, now up for grabs following Strauss-Kahn’s resignation.
The nomination process would be opened on Monday until 10 June, with the aim of completing the process by 30 June, according to a press release issued on Friday.
Le Monde reports that new economic powers like China, India and Brazil are calling for an end to Europe's lock on the position since the creation of the IMF in1946.
The 65-year-old gentleman's agreement has allowed Washington to monopolize the World Bank presidency.
Names mentioned include Indian planner Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Mexican central banker, Agustin Carstens and Trevor Manuel, South Africa's former finance minister.
Le Figaro states that French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has emerged as Europe's choice for the job.
According to the conservative newspaper, Lagarde, is widely respected in global financial circles, and well liked by the United States - which controls 16.8 per cent of the voting power on the IMF executive board.
Le Monde also points to the fact that Europe's seven directors control 31.5 percent of the vote.
EU officials told the paper they should get such a signal at Deauville, the French resort where the world's eight top industrialized powers will meet on 26-27 May.

Cannes Film Festival 2011

Libération

Dossier: Eurozone in crisis

Le Figaro

EDITORIAL : THE TEHRAN TIMES, IRAN

Persian Press Review

Tehran Times Political Desk

This column features excerpts from news articles, editorials, commentaries, and interviews of the leading Iranian newspapers and websites.

Saturday’s headlines

HAMSHAHRI: Cash subsidies to rich families will be cut

KAYHAN: Obama does not understand anything about uprisings in the Middle East, Western media say

JAME JAM: Insurance Company criticizes doubling of blood money

TEHRAN-E EMROOZ: Guardian Council says president cannot serve as caretaker oil minister

HAMSHAHRI: Three large construction projects inaugurated in capital (Tehran)

JAVAN: Revolutions in the Middle East reach Europe

HEMAYAT: Judiciary chief says it is necessary to deal seriously with deviations

IRAN: Ahmadinejad says Iran will pursue “imposed drought” on the East in international forums

DONYA EGHTESAD: IMF chief resigns

MELLATMA: We have no way to curb the basic goods prices: commerce minister

SHARQ: We are opposed to more sanction against Iran: Japan ambassador

JAME JAM: European countries prevent rain clouds from reaching Iran, President says

Leading articles

SHARQ in an opinion column says the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) conference will be held in the coming days in Vienna. The writer says that he thinks the participation of the president in the meeting will undermine the status of Iran. He states that no president has chaired an OPEC meeting so far. The writer also says the OPEC meeting is different than a cabinet meeting. The OPEC meeting is an international event, and the president’s participation will not be in national interests. When a member state host a meeting, the president of that country usually delivers a short speech at the meeting and then leaves the conference. The writer also says that we have many oil experts in our country who can represent Iran at OPEC conference. The writer also states that discussions are underway to convince President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not to participate in the OPEC meeting. And it is possible that Iran would be stripped of the OPEC presidency.

TEHRAN-E EMROOZ in a news report quotes Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaii as saying that the “deviant current” is pursuing both political and economic goals. Rezaii pointed out the activities of the deviant current, and added that one of the most important functions of leadership in the Iranian political arena is to deal with deviations. He added we have seen that some deviations have surfaced in the society since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution. This had happened during the leadership of the late Imam Khomeini, the Founder of the Islamic Revolution and has also happened during the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Rezaii said.

IRAN in a news report quotes Tehran’s Ambassador to Seoul, Ahmad Masoumifar as saying that economic cooperation between Iran and South Korea has increased over the past years. He added that the two countries have maintained their economic relations despite the sanctions that have been imposed on Iran. Masoumifar also said that the Iranian companies are cooperating with the economic sectors of South Korea.