newsitems CoE honors Journalists risking for Truth on Crimes after revelation on Adali Murder link to Missing
CoE honors Journalists risking for Truth on Crimes after revelation on Adali Murder link to Missing
*Strasbourg/WFD/Angelo Marcopolo/- Just a week before CoE's Committee of Ministers make a crucial check on Turkey's obligation to complete "efficient Investigations" on some 1.500 Greek Cypriots gone "Missing" since the 1974 Military Invasion and Occupation by Ankara's Army of Cyprus' northern Territories, for whom ECHR has condemned the Turkish State twice, CoE honored with a Prize several Journalists a.o. for taking Risks to find and say the Truth on serious Crimes during the last 25 Years, only a few Days after a Dissident Turkish Cypriot denounced that Ankara-Critic Journalist Adali had been Murdered on 1996 because he was investigating a Turkish mission to Destroy Evidence on cold-blood Mass-Killings of defenseless Greek Cypriot prisoners, victims of Enforced Disappearances, (See Infra).
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- CoE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland from Norway, who handed personaly the 2013 Falcone prize, (named after the famous Italian Judge who had succeeded to find and punish a great number of Mafia Criminals before being murdered himself), together with Lawyer Laurent Hincker, President of the Falcone Foundation, also to French Judge Mrs Myriam Quéméner, (comp. another "EuroFora"s recent NewsReport : .....), as well as to Paris University II's Center for Research on contemporary Criminal Threats (DRMCC), together with a Young French-Arab Journalist and the Head of Algeria's public Radio-TV (See Infra), in a ceremony placed in the framework of the 2013 "World Forum for Democracy", reiterated that Democracy cannot exist without a Free Press, etc., as well as ECHR's well-established, relevant case-law which stresses that Freedom of Expression is necessary both for a Democratic Society and for all other Human Rights' respect in real practice.
- Director General of the Public Radio-TV in Algeria, Tewfik Khaledi, speaking to "EuroFora", confirmed that the main reason for which some "136 Journalists have been Killed" in the country "since 1992", (i.e. practicaly since the notoriously "Imported" emergence of various Extremist movements more or less with an "Islamist" cover-up, in several countries), was "because they were revealing certain Truths", of which their murderers were afraid.
- Karim Baila, a young but already famous independent Journalist from Marseille, who has worked with important Radio-TV and other big French Media (including RTL, Canal Plus, TF1, etc), particularly on Investigative Reporting about several Trans-National Criminal Networks, speaking afterwards to "EuroFora", clearly pointed at "Traffickers of Drugs f.ex. from Afgfhanistan, of Women, f.ex. via Albania, and/or Human Organs, "Missing" peuple, etc..
- Baila also advised "EuroFora" to carefuly watch a Video that he had brought to show in Strasbourg on this occasion, which contained a selection of a series of such NewsReporting that he had realized mainly since 2005 : It started with an original TV-film on "Drug Trafficking from Kabul to Paris", which showed, on the spot, how Heroine was massively imported in Europe from Afghanistan, "through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey" etc., entering Bulgaria and other EU Countries up to Germany, etc.
+ Austrian Permanent Representative to the CoE, Ambassador Rudolf Lennkh, who is the incoming Chairman-in-office of the PanEuropean Organisation for the current period of November 2013 - May 2014, was present Today during the award of the Falcone Prize, reminding the Topical fact that "Safety of Journalists" and Freedom of Expression, particularly of Whistleblowers, is "No 1 Priority" for the incoming Austrian rotating COE Presidency, so that on an important PanEuropean Thematic Debate is scheduled on that issue by the CoE's Committee of Ministers later this Month of December 2013, as vice-Chancellor Michale Spindelegger had anounced, earlier in Strasbpurg, (comp. "EuroFora"s relevant, previous NewsReport, also with Statements that gave us the Austrian v.Chancellor + Foreign Minister Spindelegger : ......)
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+ 18 and 37 Years Earlier...
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- Meanwhile, in an indirectly related, and largely symbolic, but much awaited move, the Algerian Government has just anounced, Yesterday, that it has just accepted a demand by a French Judge to visit the Country at the Beginning of 2014, together with a Team of Experts, in order to procede to an Autopsy of the remains of 7 Christian Monks gone "Missing" 18 Years Earlier (3/1996), whose Skulls were found later-on, away from their Monastery of our Lady of Atlas, (also known as "Thibehirine")
in not completely elucidated circumstances, (reportedly murdered by an Extremist Islamist Group which had kidnaped them, when Negotiations with the Paris' Government broke down, even if this is partly contested by some).
=> Even more Earlier Crimes committed on "Missing" Persons 37 Years Before, are expected to be soon Elucidated, after a Spectacular recent Finding, at the beginning of November 2013, of some former Military Archives in Argentina : They reportedly contain a kind of "Black List" with the Names of Persons who should be kidnaped during the 1976 Mlitary regime, as well as Technical Advise on Claims to oppose against Press Questions on their Disappearance, together with the Payments made by Bankers and others to the former Chunta of the Country where various cases of "Missing" Persons had already started to emerge since the 1960ies, i.e. more than 40 Years before now... Crimes for which several former Senior Officials have already started to pay a heavy price, including various Prison sentences).
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+ But the most Astonishing recent move, linking together the Need to Protect Journalists and the Fight against Serious Crimes such as about "Missing" Persons, was made in the Middle of this Month, by a Publication of Dissident Turkish Cypriot Journalist Sener Levent, which denounces that a Witness revealed him recently that the 1996 cold-blood Murder of his Famous collegue : T/C Journalist Kutly Adali, a well-known Critic of Ankara's policies in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, was, in fact, linked to the Cyprus' "Missing Persons" tragedy :
- Even if Adali was notorious mainly about his Opposition to Ankara's systematic attempts to Alter the Demography of Cyprus' Occupied Territories, by Hindering Greek Cypriot Refugees' Return back to their Family Homes, and imposing their Replacement by Massive Imports of Turkish "Settlers" from mailand Turkey, nevertheless, it is also known that a Newspaper Article on which Adali was working at the eve of his Murder concerned, on the contrary, an Investigative Journalism' enquiry about a Greek Cypriot Religious Heritage in the Occupied Territories, about the forcibly abandoned Christian Church of Apostolos Varnavas, close to the fenced City of Famagusta.
However, Adali, who had also been called then by the Turkish Military Command's office, where he had been Threatened and asked to Stop his Apostolos Varnaves' Press Reports, in fact, wasn't dealing with a simple Cultural Heritage issue, as everybody had initially thought, (linking f.ex. a reported Excavation at the Monastery's Yard with a supposed Search for a kind of "Treasure", such as Golden Cups, Historic Icons, etc), but with something absolutely Different :
- Remains of Greek Cypriots "Missing" Persons, taken from Mass Graves initially scattered around the Island where they had been Murdered after 1974, reportedly were Hidden inside St. Barnavas' Garden, as well as in certain other secret areas known only to a few people, according to the Witness who spoke recently to Sener Levent, and the reason of the 1996 Excavation apparently was to find, take and throw them away, f.ex. to the Sea, in order to definitively Destroy any Evidence of those Crimes, because Turkey had started to be Afraid of the possible Consequences which might have a forthcoming Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot Humanitarian Agreement on "Missing" People in general, if it contributed to discover all the Truth, and had sent Special Teams to the Occupied Territories of Cyprus to scrap all Material Proof...
Indeed, less than a Year later, President Clerides and Tuckish Cypriot leader Denktash, notoriously reacched, for the 1st Time in History, a landmark Agreement on how to deal with the issue of "Missing" Persons in Cyprus, both Greek and Turkish, on merely Humanitarian Grounds, Journalists (incuding "EuroFora"s Co-Founder, then publishing at MPA Press Agency), following the UNO-sponsored Top level Political Talks on Cyprus at the other side of Geneva Lake : at Montreux's Glyon Hights, during the next Summer 1997.
+ Meanwhile the 1998 "Susurlik" Scandal had also, reportedly, revealed that at least a Band of Thugs led by Gang-leaders Abdullah Çatlı and Mehmet Ozbay, (similar to those who were linked to Drug-Dealers' and/or "Missing" Persons, Organ Trafficking, a.o. Networks from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, etc., similar to those denounced by Franco-Algerian Journalist Karim Baila : Comp. Supra his Statements to "EuroFora" on the occasion of the Falcone Prize award), had visited Cyprus exactly at the time of Adal's Murder, as it was reported later-on by several other sources.
Curiously, even if Adali's cold-blood Murder, with 5 Bullets shot at the Head in front of his Family Home in Occupied Kyrenia, (for which ECHR strongfly Condemned Turkey, in a 2005 Judgement, because it didn't ever do any Efficient Investigation to Find ad Punish the Killers), was linked together with that of Ukranian dissident Journalist Gongadje, whose be-headed Skull (a sign notoriously Typical of Extremist Islamists, as in the case of Tibehirine Monks : Comp. Supra) was found shortly after he went "Missing" at Kiev, (giving also way to another famous ECHR Judgement of the same Year : 2005, condemning Ukraine for lack of effective investigations on the Jouralist's Murder), nevertheless, these 2 "Twin" cases had, until now, an Astonishingly Differend sort, when Politics inevitably started to play a role, at the "Execution" stage, inside CoE's Committee of Ministers :
- In the Ukranian "Gongadje" case, that CoE's Committee of Ministers still continues to Monitor, the Authorities of Kiev were obliged to Find, Arrest and Condemn to Jail at least 2 Suspect Killers, soon followed also by a 3rd, suspected to have Hired them, as well as to accept an International Monitoring, through the Active Participation, f.ex., of USA's FBI Agents in he on-going attempts to find also the 1st instigator.
- On the Contrary, in "Adali"s case, CoE's Committee of Ministers has Curiously abandoned already any attempt to find and punish anyone among those responsible for the Murder, even if the respondent Authorities, those of Turkey, didn't ever find, nor caught anyone among the Killers, nor among the Payers, and even less among the iInstigators : None at all, totally Failing 100% to do any Efficient Investigation ! Moreover, the Adali case's ECHR Judgement suddenly "Disappeared" from CoE's Committee of Ministers' List on June 2010, I.e. precisely when Turkey took over the rotating Chairmanship on the Execution of ECHR's Judgements, 6 Months before assuming also the overall Political Chair of the CoE, towards 2010's End... (See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/adalimurderinvestigationstopedwhenturkeychairscoe.html? )
According to some CoE's sources, the ECHR's landmark 2005 Judgement in the Adali case, would have been .. "Silently" erased from the List of Pending Cases at the ¨PanEuroepan Organization's Committee of Ministers, through a Procedure which allows such kind of moves, if a case is included in a Long List of various cases which are considered as implicitly "Closed" if Nobody Objects in a period of 3 or 6 Months' time...
>>> Despite those apparently Scandalous Facts, nevertheless, ECHR's landmark Judgements on the Murders of Adali and Gongadze, in Occupied Cyprus and in Ukraine, respectively, both published in Strasbourg on 2005, currently serve as Top Examples for the General Principles on States' Obligation to make Effective Investigations on the Killings of Journalists, as presented in the most Recent COE's Publicationb on "Standard-setting" for the "Protection of Journalists", according to a 2013 Report by Professor Leach, which was examined a few Days Earlier, during the PanEuropean Conference of Ministers on Media and Communication at Belgrade, Serbia, this November 2013 ! (See, hereby, relevant PHOTO on the "Principles which can be drawn from the case- law of the European Court of Human Rights relating to the protection and safety of journalists", presented at the CoE's Conference on Ministers responsible for Media and Information society, on "Freedom of PExpression and Democracy in the Digital Society", 7-8 November 2017)...
So Huge Contradictions should reflect Big Political Stakes, in order to explain such a Scandalous practice, back on 2010-2011, which doesn't really honour CoE's reputation !.. .
=> In an attempt to at least alleviate the desastrous Impression that inevitably leave such Political manouvering inside CoE's Committee of Ministers' Secretariat, the Experienced long-time ECHR's Grand Chamber's Jurisconsult, Author of many Books on ECHR's case-law, and currently Professor at the University of Bruges, (Belgium), etc., replying to an "EuroFora"s Question, didn't exclude at all a Possibility to find a way to re-open the Adali case, until an efficient investigation is done, according to CoE's General Principles :
- F.ex. eiher by lodging a New Application at the ECHR, eventually arguying of the "New Facts" recently revealed on this case of manifold Importance (Comp. Supra), and/or by inviting CoE's Committee of Ministers to simply "Re-Open" its own Supervision of the Execution of ECHR's 2005 Judgement in this case, (given particulrly the Fact that, neither many Victims' Families, nor CoE's competent body, hadn't been informed, until now, of the serious Importance that the Adali case could, indeed, have, particularly if Sener Levent's November 15, 2013 Article reveals, indeed, more or less well, a real problem....
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+ Just a few Days later, an exceptional, official call was launched by new Cyprus' President Nicos Anastassiades on "the Issue of Missing Prersons in Cyprus", characterized as the "Most Tragic Dimension of the Drama that the People of Cyprus live through for a few Decades now". Specially their "Families", who "experience this drama Every Day", during "Half a Century for all those who have Missing Persons dating from the events of 1963-1964, and for nearly 4 Decades for all those who lost track of their own People during the (Turkish Foreign Military) Invasion" of 1974, and who "are Tormented and .. Suffering from the Agony and the Uncertainty, the Doubt and the Fear about the Fate of their Loved ones", he reminded.
- Meanwhile, "the Time Limits for the Effective Investigation of the Fate of our Missing have Narrowed, and are being Exhausted with every Day that goes by", Anastassiades warned.
=> Therefore, Cyprus' President "appeal(ed) to all those who Know or have Information about the Sites where there are Burried Missing Turkish Cypriots or Missing Greek Cypriots and falled from the 1963-1964 period and/or the Two Phases of the (Turkish Foreign Military) Invasion of 1974, .... to provide the appropriate Authorities and the (UN-sponsored) Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP) with all the Evidence in their possession".
- In his regard, "the Primary and Indispensable Condition for the Entire Process of the Investigation" to start, develop and conclude efficiently, "is to Secure the Necessary Information", including, in particular, "to Locate and Excavate the Sites where Missing (Persons) are Burried", as "the First and decisive Step, the 1st Phase for the Beginning of the Arduous Scientific Process that Follows" furher-on, he observed.
- Because, "we must Now Act Decisively, to Find and Open the Graves", as welll as "to give Answers to the Relatives of the Missing about the Fate of their loved ones, and to Heal the Wounds of the Past", as he said, knowing that ECHR's well-established case-law always asks, in such kind of serious cases of grave violations of Human Rights, that Full and Effective Investigations go as far as to Find and Punish those Responsible for the Victims' Enforced Disappearances.
- For "this purpose", "I expect from All those who can Contribute .... by providing Information and Evidence, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to perform their Ethical, Humanitarian and Patriotic Duty", including, naturally, the respondent State, (already Condemned by the ECHR more than Twice for having Failed to do so until now), i.e. "Turkey, in particular, to Respect its Legal Obligatiuons and its (CoE) Treaty Commitmentrs, and to Contribute Decisively to the Solutiuon of this Enormous and Lingering Humanitarian Issue", President Anastassiades added.
=> This can be done mainly "by Opening the Archives of the Turkish Military, and by Allowing Free Access to the CMP ... to the Military Areas in the Occupied Territories" of Cyprus, (still controlled by Ankara's Invasion Army since 1974(, "but also in Its Own Territory", (i.e. at Turkey's mainland, where f.ex. many Greek Cypriots had been notoriously Imprisoned, and later-on transfered back to the Island, according to an agreement with the International Red Cross Committee), he concluded.
On this occasion, Cyprus' President also thanked "Thank(ed) publicly the Government of Kuwait for.. provid(ing) the Amount of 200.000 € to cover the needs of the (UN) Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus", (i.e. practicaly the ...Double from what the Responsible State : Turkey gave to the CMP this year : Only 100.000 €).
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- But, on the Contrary, "it is Astonishing" that Turkey "is allowed to get away with this Inaction and Silence", all those years, which "actually amounts to what, in Common (as well as in US) Law would be considered as "Contempt of Court"", denounced one of the most Experienced Lawyers of Victims' Families in the "Varnava" case of 9 "Missing" Greek Cypriots, where Ankara's Government was strongly Condemned by the ECHR on 2010, for having Violated the Human Rights to Life, to respect of Family and for Inhuman/Degrading Treatments, for Lack of Efficient Remedies, etc, (in addition to the landmark ECHR's 1st Judgement in the InterState "Cyprus v. Turkey" case of 2001), Achileas Demetriades.
=> In a Letter sent to Strasbourg Today, he, "therefore, Call(ed) upon the (CoE's) Committee of Ministers to Take whatever further Action is required to Bring about the Enforcement of the said Judgement", in Varnavas' case, (Comp. Supra) .
A much needed ReAction, since, more than 8 Years after a Controversial process initially focusing on CMP's too Limited Mandate just for establishing the Identity of "Missing" Persons' remains, without ever doing any among the Necessary Forensic Investigations in order to Discover what really Happened to them, Find and Punish those Responsible for their Enforced Disappearance, (as ECHR's Judgements repeatedly asked Turkey to do), only about 400 out of the more than 2.000 Missing Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been found, and, among them, some rudimentary "Criminal Investigations" have reportedly "started" in Less than 300 cases, but ... NONE of them hasN't yet produced Any Result at all, (as a Letter sent by Turkey today reveals) !
+ At the same time, (as "EuroFora"s co-Founder has repeatedly Denounced in the Past, already since February 2007), according to pertinent Informations given to us both by well-informed CoE's sources, as well as mainstream International NGO's on Human Rights, such as AMNESTY, Human Rights' WATCH, etc, the fact that CMP's initial Mandate is so Limited (Comp. Supra), provokes a real Danger for precious material Evidence of serious Crimes to be Destroyed for ever, during that controversial process of Exhumations of Victims' remains, without Any Forensic Examination, but Returning, neverthemess, the remains to the Families, most of them in order to Burry the Victims' bodies, etc., with the inevitable Risk to even unknowingly Erase any Proof of what really Happened to them :
Something which becomes Obvious when one considers the fact that ECHR, f.ex., could only distinguish, in a case of a Person found Dead in Turkey, if he had been just Killed during an Exchange of Armed Fire, as Turkish Authorities claimed, or, on the contrary, Murdered in cold-blood, by Gun Shots fired at Short Range, while being hold as a Defenseless Prisoner, just by making some Chemical Tests for GunPowder on the Victim's Shirt !... (Or, f.ex. that a dead body might have resulted from a cold-blood Murder, or, on the contrary, from a Border-crossing Accident, accoding to the exact Position of the Victims' Bones in relation with a nearby Guards' Stop, etc).
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3 EU Parliament votes to boost EuroGroup !
---------------------------------
After EuroZone Paris Summit's succes, Sarkozy calls to "think anew how to re-construct Europe !
"EuroZone and EU Institutional debates pave the way to 2009 discussions on EU Future, including Enlargment, Turkey etc. ?
23 October 2008
After EU Parliament strongly suppported in 3 successive Votes this week in Strasbourg French EU Chairmanship's move to boost Euro-Group at EU's core, while ideas on EU Institutional problems are awaited on December, "it's an open Question now" if this may lead to a debate on EU's Future, or not, told us French President, Nicolas Sarkozy''s Spokesman, Pierre-Jerome Henin.
MEPs voted on Thursday fresh Funds to support EuroGroup, after adopting on Wednesday a Resolution asking a "further Evolution" to "the 1st ever meeting of Heads of State and of Government of the Euro-Zone, taking decisions in that capacity", while earlier this week a Report asked "a stronger Institutional setting" for "EuroGroup", extended from "competitiveness/industry" to "environment, employment and education", with "increased powers for Political decision-making", according to a text drafted by French MEP Francoise Beres and German MEP Werner Langen, "10 Years after the creation of Euro" (1999 - 2009).
- Brussels' subsequent "EU Council ..(simply)..ratified the measures decided by EuroGroup on October 12" in Paris, which "were necessary to contain the current Financial Crisis", Resolution observes, expressing also support to the new process succesfully initiated by Sarkozy and due to be completed by agreements with USA and other countries at a Global level.
From now on, it's between two differend but parallel moves : EU's delay, and EuroZone's acceleration, that Enlargement and particularly Turkey's controversial EU bid, will have to search its way :
Indeed, EU's 27 expect a "Roadmap on how to deal with the Irish problem" on Lisbon Treaty ratification after December, risking to pass even 2009 Elections and next Commission with the old Nice Treaty of 2000, out-dated and unfit even for 2004's Enlargement...
On the contrary, EU's core launches a real "Economic Governance for EuroZone at the highest level of Heads of State/Government" of the 15, which started in Paris on October 12 and was strongly supported this week in Strasbourg by Sarkozy and EU Parliament.
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- "It's a good idea, to launch such a debate ("on EU's Future") in EU Parliament in view of 2009 Euro-Election : Perhaps some MEPs will seize an opportunity", told us mainstream French MEP Alain Lamassoure, former EU Minister and EU Spokesman for France's governing party UMP.
- "All MEPs' debates on such EU Councils are also part of the larger debate on Europe's future : Now with EuroZone, and even more when, on December, Irish Prime Minister is due to table proposals in Strasbourg on how to deal with EU Treaty's ratification", replied earlier to our question EU Parliament's Press Director and Spokesman, Jaume Duch.
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Sarkozy has formally anounced his intention to open EU Debates on Economy, Identity/Enlargement (i.e. mainly Turkey), etc. both linked to a popular Political view of Europe, since his Historic speeches on EU in Strasbourg, on February and July 2007, when he stressed that "Europe needs a New Renaissance". At the beginning of the French EU Presidency, on July 2008, replying to a MEP, he suggested that EU Parliament takes an active part in Debates on EU's Future.
- Now, in 2008, "Crisis are an opportunity to re-think how to re-construct Europe", Sarkozy stressed. At any case, the Historic 1st EuroZone Summit of Heads of State/Government, which started replying to the Financial crisis,"is a Turning Point : After that, Europe cannot be governed as before, but differently" : People "like a Europe with Strong Will".
- "We must make the System move !", "Europe needs Innovation" and free political debates. EU "Elections are in a few Months", Sarkozy warned.
He invited EU Parliament to fully play its role as "the Democratic Heart of the Europe we want : United, Independent and Voluntarist, because the World needs Europe's voice".
- "It's no more possible for Euro-Zone to continue without an Economic Government" at the Highest Level of Heads of State/Government, who provide "Democratic Legitimity" and can take important decisions, he announced, strongly supported by EU Parliament's Economic Committee which just voted to boost the "Institutional" aspects of "EuroGroup".
Plasticity offered by the current absence of a special Treaty on EuroZone's Institutions "made it easy to adapt the organization of the 1st Summit with imagination, to efficiently meet urgent needs", he observed, on the occasion of Brittish Prime Minister's exceptionnal presence at the greatest part of EuroGroup's Paris Summit.
- "In EuroZone we have the same Bank, the same Money, and, thus, a same duty for Unity" : "By bringing together EuroGroup's 15 members States we suceeded to find a solution and prepare a Giant Plan of 1.800 Billion euros", Sarkozy reminded of Paris' 1st Historic EuroZone's Summit.
Afterwards, Brussels' EU Council followed the move, and USA's Paulson II Plan was inspired from that. "Europe must promote the idea of Global Economy's Refoundation", he stressed.
- "I was frankly astonished when I found, at the EU, a rigid system, where any New Idea was seen from the outset as a sacrilege, while, on the contrary, Europe needs Innovation !", he described.
F.ex. ,"'When we first spoke about the "Union for the Mediterranean", it was misunderstood as something extraordinary.. When later we had the Russia -Georgia crisis, it seemed against EU's custom to act "in the middle of August", instead of staying a passive spectator ! And when, in front of the Financial ciris, we gathered the 1st EuroZone Summit of the "15", some thought of it as a lese-majesté", he denounced.
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On Geo-Political Principles :
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- But, by moving resolutely, "EU obtained the ...withdrawal of Occupation Troops in 2 Months !", reminded Sarkozy, observing that Russia "fulfilled its commitments", in the Georgian crisis, where a "disroportionate reaction" from Moscow followed a "totally inappropriate action" from Tbilisi's troops. "It would be crazy to reply by military means : EU should not become accomplice of another Cold War, imposed by lack of cool heads".. as he said.
In future, "the creation of a common European Economic Area with EU and Russia, would also obtain a raprochment on our Human Rights and Democratic Values", added Sarkozy, in a statement which should logically be applied, a fortiori, to controversial EU "candidate" Turkey..
Particularly when, the same week that EU Parliament voted 2009 EU Funds for Turkey's controversial EU bid, ECHR took a series of judgements condemning Turkey for grave Violations of Human Rights, such as : Torture, death of a political prisoner in unclear circumstances followed by failure to conduct a proper Investigation, "enforced Disappearance" of a youngster aged 17, Killing of a sepherd with Tank Shells, persecuting Journalists for articles on "Missing" People, even a former President of Human Rights' Association, (etc)
- "We (EU) can defend our ideas on respect of Sovereignity and territorial Integrity, on Human Rights and other differences ... without confrontation", Sarkozy stressed, on the occasion of Russian/Georgian conflict, reminding that : "we were only 2 steps from catastroph", when a Peace agreement brokered in Moscow prevented, at the last minute, Russian troops' advance towards Tbilisi.
An EU Parliament Resolution adopted Wednesday in Strasbourg on the occasion of Russia - Georgia conflict, outlines a set of Principle which apply elsewhere too, (particularly when EU Rapporteur for Russia and Turkey is one and same person ; Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijtanen !)
Clearly rejecting any "military solution to the conflicts", MEPs "condemn ..all those who resorted to force and violence". They denounce a "disproportionate military action", "as well as (an) unilateral decision to recognise the independence" of brekaway regions, "calling.. to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of the concerned country, "and the inviolability of its borders recognised by all EU Member States". They warn that "EU must review its policy towards" a 3rd Country, "should .(it)...not comply with its commitments", and "stress that the withdrawal of.... troops from the areas ....is an essential additional step".
EU Parliament "calls for the safe and quick return of refugees, (accepted by Russian President Medvedev) accompanied by the deployment of EU observers on the ground", and "regrets ...that ..EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) is not allowed to enter the ...breakaway regions". Moreover, "It's important to ensure that persons and NGOs ..engaged in defending human and civil rights can operate". "Until ...all remaining issues (are) resolved..., and notably the continuing ...Military presence", "relations with the EU ..cannot be fully normalised", MEPS warned.
As nobody likes to be accused to practice "Double Standards", this should be regarded as "Principles" applicable to any Third Country at EU's Neighborhood.. No ?
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On Economy :
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- "When Financial crisis shook US and EU's Banks, without result from the 1st (American) Paulsen plan, it was the common reply of the 1st EuroZone's Summit, involving some 1800 Billion euros, which started a positive move in the markets, soon strengthened by the follow-up of the US Paulson 2 Plan, noted Sarkozy.
- "Europe should not be only on the defensive, but, if necessary, know also how to take an offensive", he said, brushing away hesitationsto act on Economy: - "I'm for a refondation of Capitaliism, but against Speculators, who betray its values" : "Lack of Rules was profitable to speculators, Not to businessmen !" We must make sure to prevent any such crisis in future". "We, the rest of the World, cannot continue to bear the deficits of the 1st World power without saying anything !", the French President said, applauded by EU Parliament. All this needs "a New Global Governance", on which EU Parliament must debate. That's why "we proposed together with USA, several Summits from mid-November", to which G-8, enlarged to China, India a.o. countries, should participate. UNO's SG; Ban Ki Moon, the IMF, etc.
Financial crisis lowered shares' prices even for healthy companies, sometimes to 1/3 of their initial price, so that strangers might buy EU industries for only a portion of their real value, and Europeans may wake up one day with their main industries sold out to foreigners !
That's one of the reasons for which EU should debate about creating "Golden Shares" for States to jointly take Strategic participations to help European Industries until the end of the Crisis, particularly against distording competition, he suggested, pointing at USA's 35 billion $ plan for American Car Industry."We shall struggle for Europe to be able to build Airplanes, Ships, Trains, Cars, because we need a strong Industry", he concluded.
"F.ex. as we did back in 2004, when as Finance Minister, we bought Alsthom's shares for 800.000 euros, and, after restructuring, we sold them for 2 Millions : Help a company and make money is not so bad"...
As for the UK, "when Ireland announced that it would guarantee only Irish Banks, London City emptied from liquidities in 24 hours : It's the EU which helped to restore the situation, Not the UK alone !", reminded Sarkozy to nationalist British MEP Nigel Farage.
On the contrary, in a last-minute attempt for the EU to catch-up with its Institutional delay "before the European Elections" of June 2009, MEPs simply voted a call for a "set of proposals" to be made for the "Irish public opinion" at the end of the year...
- "As long as Lisbon Treaty is not ratified by all 27 EU Member States, there is an unanimous decision to stop Enlargement, reminded Wednesday in Strasbourg the French Minister for EU affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet..
Added to an indirect but clear warning that, without Lisbon Treaty, all 27 EU Member Countries may not have a Commissioner in the 2009 resuffle, MEPS in the Constitutional/Foreign affairs Committees applauded hoping that this might motivate their Irish friends..
