BELGRADE, Serbia — As editor-in-chief of Serbia’s oldest and most prestigious daily newspaper, Politika, I am at a loss to explain the West’s stubborn support for Kosovo independence to my readers. Only nine years ago, my country was bombed for 78 days by the most powerful military alliance the world has ever seen, and the last thing I want is to pour oil over the fire of anti-Western sentiment. But the truth is, I find myself grappling with the same bitterness and resentment as most of my countrymen. I was very much part of the democratic upheaveal that rid Serbia [...]
This didn’t get much notice, but it strikes me as significant that the Iran sanctions resolution was passed as the first order of business under Russia’s presidency of the UN Security council, given recent signals of a hardening of Russia’s posture towards Iran. On the other hand, it will be interesting to see how Moscow plans to address the Kosovo dossier, which was included among priority items by Russia’s UN envoy.
This article over at Rue89 (French language) shows the degree to which America’s emphasis on information mining as a counter-terrorism tool is more than just a domestic issue. In return for a more favorable visa waiver program, the Czech Republic has signed a Memorandum of Understanding that offers American authorities access to far more passenger information than the EU is comfortable with. Significantly, the Czechs went ahead and signed the agreement in the face of pressure from the EU to wait for the articulation of a common European position. Said Ivan Langer, the Czech Interior Minister, “A man whose belly [...]
