Breffni O'Rourke

March 02, 2004

Libya: Is This Former 'Rogue State' Now A Model For Others?

Libya appears to be making further sustained efforts to rejoin the international community. First it settled its compensation cases for terrorist actions. Then it moved to give up all programs of weapons of mass destruction. Now it is moving to become a full member of the European Union's partnership with Mediterranean-rim nations. It has even cooperated with a delegation from the human-rights group Amnesty International. Is Libya proving a model for the rehabilitation of a former "rogue state?"

February 20, 2004

Eastern Europe: Life In The Shadows -- A Spy's Legacy Is A Complicated One

Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski. If life is complicated for an ordinary person, it is certainly more so for a spy. Espionage, long romanticized in the popular imagination, is in reality a murky world with little glamour. And is a spy a hero to a cause, or a traitor to his or her country? So much depends on point of view. Take the case of two famous Cold War spies, one a Pole and the other a German, both of whom died this month.

February 18, 2004

The Netherlands: Dutch Parliament Passes Strong Measure On Expulsion Of Immigrants

The Dutch parliament has approved a hard-line anti-immigration measure under which tens of thousands of failed asylum-seekers are likely to be expelled. The bill affects even those who have been living in the country for years. Considering that the Netherlands has long been considered one of the most liberal countries in Europe on social issues, the new law seems particularly harsh. Is this a taste of things to come in Western Europe?

February 17, 2004

EU: The 'Big Three' Meet Amid Concerns For The Union's Cohesion

The political leaders of Germany, France, and Britain meet in Berlin tomorrow for a summit which some say could mark a new direction for the European Union. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, President Jacques Chirac, and Prime Minister Tony Blair want to coordinate their policies across a wide front, but they deny they are trying to establish a "directoire" of the big three powers to dominate the union. The EU is going through a difficult moment, with the massive enlargement to the east about to begin and with its efforts to adopt a new constitution stalled. What does the summit really imply for the future of the union?

February 12, 2004

Caucasus: European Parliament Rapporteur Sees Hope For Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, more than a decade after gaining their independence, remain politically volatile and still struggle with realizing their economic promise. Separatist tendencies and frozen conflicts still plague the region. Georgia and Azerbaijan have recently undergone leadership changes, so what hope is there for a fresh start? The European Parliament's rapporteur for the South Caucasus, Per Gahrton of Sweden, has filed a report on the situation in the region, which the full Parliament is expected to adopt soon (25-26 February or 8-11 March). RFE/RL spoke with Gahrton about his views on the future of the South Caucasus.

February 10, 2004

EU: Brussels Moves To Curb Immigrants, From Near Or Far

The member states of the European Union are continuing to tighten controls on immigration, whether from neighboring countries which are themselves about to join the EU, or from farther afield -- China, Iraq, and Turkey, among others. It looks as though UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recent appeal for Europe to rethink its immigration restrictions is falling on deaf ears.

February 04, 2004

EU: States Uneasy Over Migration As Eastern Accession Draws Near

European Union member states are showing increased uneasiness about a feared flood of migrants as the date nears for eastwards enlargement of the union on 1 May. Sweden has signaled that it is reversing its previous open-door policy toward workers from the 10 mainly Eastern European accession countries, and Britain is also under pressure to tighten up.

January 30, 2004

Germany: Once The Invisible Giant, Berlin Raises Profile Abroad, Not Least In Afghanistan, Central Asia

For half a century, Germany was a sleeping giant in political and military terms. Though evidence of Germany's economic power could be seen all over the world through its manufactured products, it had almost no diplomatic profile abroad. Traumatized by the events of the Nazi period, German leaders steered clear of an international political role. But that is changing. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has moved to give Berlin an international presence commensurate with its economic strength. That can be seen not least in its actions in Afghanistan and Central Asia. RFE/RL correspondents Breffni O'Rourke and Bruce Pannier report.

January 29, 2004

Saudi Arabia: Security A Major Concern As Hajj Gets Under Way (Part 2)

Some 2 million people are gathering in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites. The hajj is often called the largest single gathering of human beings on the planet and as such, it poses a host of security challenges. This year, amid the war on terror and worldwide alarm over the spread of a new strain of bird flu, the stakes are particularly high. RFE/RL correspondents Breffni O'Rourke and Charles Recknagel report.

January 28, 2004

U.K.: BBC Stung By Hutton Report, While Blair Escapes Largely Unscathed

Senior British judge Lord Brian Hutton today released the results of his inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of British government scientist David Kelly. Kelly committed suicide shortly after being named as the source of allegations that the British government had exaggerated the threat of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to justify war. The British political establishment and the media have been waiting in suspense for today's report, knowing it could spell the end for British Prime Minister Tony Blair and could also severely damage the British national broadcaster, the BBC, which carried the allegations.

January 27, 2004

EU: Parliament Pay Rates Rejected, Stalling Key Reform Ahead Of Enlargement

A group of European Union states, including Germany and France, are blocking attempts to set a uniform pay rate for members of the European Parliament (MEPs). They contend that the proposed pay of almost 9,000 euros ($11,400) per month is too generous at a time of economic constraint. The move stalls much-needed reforms over the parliament's pay system, which critics say is open to abuse.

January 22, 2004

East: OECD Says Migrant Flow At Record Levels

Record numbers of immigrants are moving to Western countries in search of a new life. The latest report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that the upward trend of immigration, from Eastern Europe and elsewhere, which began in the mid-1990s, is continuing -- despite the economic downturn in many of the host countries.

January 21, 2004

World: Study Seeks To Learn Lessons From Integration Of Muslims In U.S., France, And Germany

A major study is being planned to look at differences in the way the United States and leading Western European countries assimilate their Muslim minorities. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 changed the lives of Muslims everywhere. Their communities are now exposed to greater scrutiny than ever before. It has also increased the likelihood that Muslims will be exposed to hate crimes. And not least, it has meant that some members of those Muslim communities have become radicalized. The study will look at a range of such factors and point the way toward dealing innovatively with problems.

January 20, 2004

EU: Vital Issues Remain To Be Decided As Expansion Looms

With the European Union heading toward its historic expansion into Central and Eastern Europe, work is only beginning on vital issues like how to divide the union's vast budget between old members and the 10 newcomers. There is also nervousness emerging that the expansion will see some Western members inundated with immigrants, and that jobs in the expensive West will be lost to the East.

January 16, 2004

Libya: Can It Fit Back Into the World Economy?

Libya is moving to break out of the international isolation that has thwarted it for many years. The country says it is renouncing all development of weapons of mass destruction and given other indications that it seeks to return to the mainstream of international life. But, as RFE/RL reports, these gestures -- while significant -- are only a start. Fitting the country back into the world economy won't be easy.

January 15, 2004

Caucasus: Robust Nature Conservancy Blossoms In South

The Southern Caucasus republics -- Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan -- are still struggling to adapt to the new era that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago. Like other countries in transition, the priority in the Caucasus has been on how to achieve working political and economic systems amid poor infrastructure and fragile social and ethnic situations. Despite the region's practical difficulties, however, a robust nature conservation movement has emerged.

January 14, 2004

Italy: Court Ruling Seen As Setback For Berlusconi

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi (right) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Italy in 2002. (CTK) In a setback for Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the country's constitutional court has ruled that the immunity law that blocked his bribery trial is unconstitutional. This clears the way for the trial to resume and means Berlusconi must again confront the legal problems he has been battling for years. Is this the beginning of the end for the controversial premier?

January 12, 2004

U.K.: BBC Presenter's Comments On Arabs Cause Uproar

British state television, the BBC, has suspended a well-known talk show because the presenter, Robert Kilroy-Silk, made what are seen as disparaging comments about Arabs, and by inference, about Muslims in general. The comments have caused an uproar among human rights activists. Kilroy is largely unrepentant, and says he is disappointed with the BBC for not supporting him.

January 08, 2004

Germany: In Another Sign Of Strain, Major Companies Cutting Pension Plans

Commerzbank, one of Germany's biggest banks, has announced that it is closing its company pension scheme, affecting some 24,000 employees. The troubled insurance company Gerling says it will soon follow the same course. These surprise moves come as the German government grapples with the necessity of reducing state pensions to cope with the demands imposed on the system by a rapidly aging population. Is this another signal that Germany's generous postwar pension arrangements are coming to an end?

January 07, 2004

Saudi Arabia: Hajj Preparations Under Way Amid Difficult Security Situation

Preparations are under way for this year's hajj, the pilgrimage to Islam's holiest sites, in Saudi Arabia. Some 2 million pilgrims from all over the world are expected to take part, creating the usual logistical difficulties for the Saudi authorities. The event is further complicated this year by the possibility of disruption from terrorist attacks.