Message-ID: <17147748.1075855133405.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 10:54:25 -0800 (PST) From: the_economist-politics-admin@lists.economist.com To: dbaughm@ect.enron.com Subject: The world this week: Politics 8th - 14th December 2001 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: The_Economist-politics-admin@lists.economist.com@ENRON X-To: dbaughm@ect.enron.com X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Edward_Baughman_Jan2002\Baughman Jr., Don\Deleted Items X-Origin: Baughman-E X-FileName: dbaughm (Non-Privileged).pst Welcome to The world this week: Politics A summary of the world's main events from The Economist. Also available at http://www.economist.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - IN THE ECONOMIST THIS WEEK - America's energy policy was wrong before September 11th. Now it is even more so * Japan's economy * The future of American farming * Race and poverty in Britain * European merger rules * Kenya's dynastic politics * The origins of racism * Spherical robots * Classical CDs * You can read these articles, and many more, in the free area of Economist.com, at http://www.economist.com. Subscribers can also read 40 more new articles. Click here to subscribe: http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_15483_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_68 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NO SURRENDER, YET Al-Qaeda fighters holed up in the Tora Bora area of AFGHANISTAN showed no sign of surrender, despite punishing American bombing. A new deal was offered to al-Qaeda diehards: surrender Osama bin Laden and his close comrades and go free. Some thought Mr bin Laden had fled to Pakistan. - - - - - See article: How to keep the peace in Afghanistan http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36746_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6d France said it was ready to commit troops to a multinational PEACEKEEPING FORCE in Afghanistan. Britain was set to lead it, although Tony Blair, Britain's prime minister, said that many details still had to be resolved. A Somali militia leader alleged that the al-Qaeda terrorist network was moving its operations to SOMALIA, a mostly Muslim country in a state of chaos. American officials said that they were investigating, but played down the possibility that military strikes were imminent. John Ashcroft, America's attorney-general, charged a Moroccan-born Frenchman with conspiring with al-Qaeda to carry out the SEPTEMBER 11TH TERRORIST ATTACKS. Zacarias Moussaoui, who had undertaken pilot training in Minnesota, could face trial by a secret military tribunal. VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Israel ended all direct contact with YASSER ARAFAT and struck at Palestinian police stations and other targets after ten Israelis in a bus had been killed by gunmen near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. A Fatah militia group and Hamas both claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was in revenge for recent killings of Palestinians by Israel's forces. Mr Arafat moved to close down all Hamas and Islamic Jihad offices. - - - - - See article: The pushes and pulls on Yasser Arafat http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36745_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6c SAUDI ARABIA'S interior minister, Prince Nayef, announced that for the first time identity cards, carrying photographs of their unveiled faces, would be issued to Saudi women under certain conditions. Hitherto, a woman has been named only as a dependant on the card of her father or husband. Ruud Lubbers, the UN high commissioner for REFUGEES, accused governments of basing their policies towards the world's 22m refugees on "fear and mistrust". Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe, announced that a long-awaited PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION will be held in March. YESTERDAY'S TREATY President George Bush said he would give Russia notice that America will withdraw from the 1972 ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE TREATY. Mr Bush said the treaty was written in a "different era for a different enemy". - - - - - See article: George Bush's arms-control hang-ups http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36744_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6b A presidential commission unanimously backed three recommendations that would allow young workers to invest part of their SOCIAL SECURITY contributions in the stockmarket. The decision came as concerns grew over financing the retirement years of the baby-boom generation. The chances of action seem slim. - - - - - See article: Social Security reform, bogged down http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36743_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6a Police in Los Angeles arrested two leaders of the JEWISH DEFENCE LEAGUE on charges of trying to blow up a mosque and the office of an Arab-American congressman. ITALY RETREATS Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, gave way to his EU partners and accepted plans for an EU-WIDE ARREST WARRANT. Italy had objected to the long list of crimes it would cover. Changes in the Italian constitution will be needed. Mr Berlusconi's Northern League allies were dismayed, both by the warrant itself (too much foreign meddling) and by his readiness to yield to EU pressure. - - - - - See article: Italy oddly at odds with Europe http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36742_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_69 In advance of an EU SUMMIT at Laeken, in Belgium, the president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, attacked members for agreeing to plans but then not carrying them out (eg, the proposed "Galileo" European global-positioning system). EU summits might become mere high-level talking-shops, he suggested. Become? jeered cynics. - - - - - See article: Towards a bigger, simpler Europe http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36747_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6e In BRITAIN, dispute arose over urgings by David Blunkett, the home secretary, that immigrants should do more to adapt to British ways, and over a report on some race riots earlier this year, which lamented that brown and white communities live almost entirely apart. He proposed more emphasis on the use of English, and a new oath of allegiance for people seeking naturalisation. - - - - - See article: Race, nationality and loyalty http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36750_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_68 An international tribunal in The Hague indicted SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC for genocide during the early-1990s civil war in Bosnia. The former Yugoslav dictator refused to plead, calling the charge a "monstrous absurdity". Fourteen British and Dutch plane-spotters who had been held in prison in GREECE on charges of spying were offered bail. KILLING IN INDIA Five gunmen broke into INDIA'S parliament buildings. In the ensuing battle, they and at least six other people including policemen, though no MPs, were killed. - - - - - See article: An attack on India's parliamenthttp://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36749_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_70 One week after a new government was elected in SRI LANKA, bringing the prospect of peace talks with the separatist Tamil Tigers, the rebels attacked a police station and an army post killing ten people. Six Tigers were reported to have been killed. Nine hereditary rulers of MALAYSIA chose Syed Sirajuddin, the ruler of Perlis state, as the country's new king for the traditional term of five years. Tung Chee-hwa, picked by China to run the former British colony of HONG KONG, is to run for a second five-year term. Jiang Zemin became the first Chinese head of state to visit MYANMAR since the military junta seized power in 1988. China supplies Myanmar with most of its arms. CHEESED OFF WITH CHAVEZ VENEZUELA came to a standstill in a one-day stoppage organised by private business and backed by labour in protest at decrees issued by President Hugo Chavez. The president threatened to "turn the screws" on the opposition. - - - - - See article: Venezuela's polarised politics http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36748_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6f ARGENTINA limped on. Domingo Cavallo, the economy minister, said he would keep his promise to the IMF of a balanced budget next year by scrapping earlier tax cuts. - - - - - See article: The IMF pulls its punches with Argentina http://TheEconomist.s.maildart.net/link_36752_6723759_1_79944192_60299072_1_6a TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO'S second general election in a year failed to break a political deadlock. The government and opposition each won 18 seats. 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