Breffni O'Rourke

June 08, 2004

U.S./EU: Bush's Visit To Europe -- A Sincere Healing Of Wounds Or Just Empty Rhetoric?

The United States and its European allies France and Germany have endured perhaps the most difficult year of their post-World War II relationship. The main cause was the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which was strongly opposed by Paris and Berlin. But now there is agreement at the United Nations on a new Iraq resolution. And this week's celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France included much conciliatory language. Are real improvement in relations under way?

June 07, 2004

Europe: D-Day Commemorations Look To Past To Find The Future

One striking feature of yesterday's D-Day commemoration in Normandy was the sense of reconciliation between France and Germany. For the first time, a German leader took part in the anniversary ceremonies, and that transformed the occasion from a remembrance of past military struggles to a celebration of European unity.

June 03, 2004

U.S./Europe: Bush Visit Carries Complicated Symbolism

U.S. President George W. Bush is embarking on a visit to Europe on 4 June, which will take him to Rome and Paris, then to the beaches of Normandy, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the allied troop landings in 1944. The visit is an important moment for Bush, who seeks to draw parallels between his campaign to democratize Iraq and the Mideast region, and the successful rehabilitation of Europe after World War II. But there are complications, not least among them the major demonstrations expected against his Iraq policy.

May 28, 2004

OSCE: Prague Conference Aims To Build Business Climate In Central Asia, Caucasus

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is holding a key conference in Prague (31 May-4 June) which aims to help its Eastern member states develop an economic climate where business and private enterprise flourish. The five-day OSCE Economic Forum is the culmination of a series preparatory meetings held mostly in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

May 26, 2004

World: British Think Tank Says Iraq Conflict Has Strengthened Al-Qaeda

Osama bin Laden A prestigious British research organization, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, has issued a report that asserts that the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq has actually strengthened the Al-Qaeda terrorist network, rather than weakened it. The report, titled "Strategic Survey 2003/2004," says the Iraq conflict has led to an accelerated recruitment to Al-Qaeda. And it says the ideal goal of the group is to use weapons of mass destruction.

May 25, 2004

Middle East: U.S. Invitation To Muslim States Seeks To Set Reform In Motion

The leaders of five Muslim nations are expected to take up U.S. President George W. Bush's invitation to attend June's Group of Eight (G8) summit, where his Greater Middle East Initiative for regional reform will be discussed. Bush is seeking to show that the economically powerful G8 countries will support those states of the broader Middle East region that are willing to reform. But Arab states have so far been wary about following the U.S. initiative.

May 20, 2004

EU: Lifting Of GMO Ban Revives Food-Safety Controversy

The European Union has ended its controversial ban on the introduction of new genetically modified foods. It has decided to allow the import of one type of gene-modified sweet corn. Insignificant as the actual volume of the sweet corn may be, environmentalists fear it is just the start of bigger things -- and as they see it, bigger risks to public health.

May 19, 2004

India: Congress Party Striving To Move Forward After Week Of Surprises

India's Congress party is striving to cope with fast-moving events since its unexpected win in the country's general election. The party has chosen a respected economist as its nominee for prime minister following the controversial decision of party leader Sonia Gandhi not to lead the government. But he is politically untested, and the Congressional rank-and-file has not resigned itself to Gandhi's withdrawal. The situation in the world's biggest democracy remains emotionally charged.

May 18, 2004

World: Vatican Cautions Against Muslim-Catholic Marriages (Part 1)

Islamic scholars are expressing surprise at a Vatican statement cautioning Catholic women against marrying Muslim men. The Catholic Church, like most major religions, does not favor religiously mixed marriages, and has set restrictions on them. But this latest explicitly worded message from Rome appears to run counter to the new era of ecumenism between religions.

May 13, 2004

India: Congress Opposition Party Claims Victory In Election Shock

In a sensational upset, India's main opposition Congress party -- led by Sonia Gandhi -- appears to have unseated the National Democratic Alliance government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Final results from the marathon general election are expected this evening, but Vajpayee has already conceded defeat.

May 12, 2004

World: U.S. Image Tarnished By Prisoner-Abuse Scandal

The high standing of the United States in the world as a bastion of human rights and fair play is being put at risk by the scandal over the abuse of prisoners in Iraq. Allies are disappointed, and the Muslim world enraged. The United States has fallen so far in global public opinion that analysts say Washington will need to address the concerns thoroughly if the world is to be reassured.

May 06, 2004

Greece: Anxieties Grow For Olympics As Bomb Blasts Shake Athens

With just 100 days left to go before the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, bomb blasts in the Greek capital have renewed fears the games could be the target of terrorist attacks. But tensions are rising not only because of the terror threat. It's still unclear whether all of the Olympic facilities will be finished in time for the opening of the games on 13 August.

May 05, 2004

World: Spreading Sasser Computer Worm Might Have Origin In Russia

A voracious computer worm nicknamed "Sasser" is causing problems for computer users around the world. Since it first came to light last weekend, an estimated 1 million PCs using the Microsoft Windows system have been infected -- and there is no end in sight. Sasser is a particular nuisance because it can invade an individual computer without any action by the user.

May 04, 2004

Africa: Suppression Of Media Freedom Continues In North Amid Hopeful Signs

The Muslim countries of North Africa are coming in for fresh criticism for their lack of adherence to human rights standards, specifically for their suppression of media freedoms. Nevertheless, there are some signs that this group of nations -- which have long tended to stagnate politically and economically -- could be moving to break out of their torpor.

May 03, 2004

Central Asia: Report Says Journalists' Work Difficult And Dangerous

The Paris-based media-monitoring group Reporters Without Borders has issued a report pointing to the grim state of media freedoms in Central Asia. Death, torture, censorship -- all are part of the journalist's lot in that part of the world. RFE/RL looks at the report, which was issued to coincide with World Press Freedom Day.

April 30, 2004

EU/Libya: Rapprochement Could Have Tonic Effect On Barcelona Process

The successful visit to European Union headquarters in Brussels by Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi is the latest of several events brightening prospects for the Islamic countries of North Africa. Ties between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean have been stagnating, and Libya's mercurial return to the world community could lend a new sense of momentum to the Mediterranean dialogue.

April 29, 2004

EU: Despite Queue, Further Enlargement Fading Amid 'Fatigue' (Part 2)

The European Union is poised to undergo its biggest enlargement ever, with 10 new members formally set to join on 1 May. Even more prospective members wait in the wings. But for most of them, the chances of fully joining the EU may be diminishing.

April 29, 2004

EU: Historic Division Of Europe Overcome, But New Problems Loom (Part 1)

On 1 May, at a historic ceremony in Dublin, 10 new nations will be admitted to the European Union, almost doubling its size to 25 member states. The formal admission of the mostly Eastern European countries is the culmination of years of effort. In the first of a two-part series, RFE/RL examines the present state of the EU as it embarks on this new chapter.

April 26, 2004

Cyprus: Failure Of Referendum Means Headache For The EU

The strong "no" vote from the Greek Cypriot community on the UN plan to reunify Cyprus has created a difficult political situation. The failure of the 24 April referendum now means that the Greek-Cypriot part of Cyprus will enter the European Union on 1 May without the Turkish-Cypriot part. The long-running issue of a divided Cyprus therefore becomes a problem for the EU, and could affect Turkey's quest for membership in the union.

April 23, 2004

Saudi Arabia: Does Recent Violence Herald New Regional Instability?

Saudi Arabia has been the target of an increasing number of terrorist attacks or attempted attacks in recent weeks. Saudi security forces have killed five suspected militants in the wake of a suicide car bomb on 21 April that killed four people and wounded almost 150 others. Neighboring Jordan has also foiled an attack that the authorities said would have killed thousands. Do these events indicate a broadening of efforts to destabilize the region?