SWITZERLAND

SWITZERLAND
Tribune de Geneve, Feb. 13: As the cameras focus on Salt Lake City, no one can forget the tragic events of Sept. 11. Five months ago -- almost day for day -- America was wounded. Its beliefs shaken. President Bush declared war on terrorism. The Olympics were in doubt. Was it right to send 2,500 athletes to Salt Lake City? To a country in conflict? With the fear of another attack?
Utah showed the way. It was a cry from the heart of an injured nation. The message was clear: the United States needs these games. To reassure. To heal the wounds. The Olympic ideal was taken hostage and was transformed into an expression of international solidarity. A first step toward victory against evil.
Ground Zero flag: Today the inhabitants of Salt Lake City are thanking the whole world for daring to come. "Welcome to the World," read the signs in front of the hotels and restaurants. But the organizing committee has used the occasion to render homage to the victims of Sept. 11. A program which has caught the International Olympic Committee unprepared. With a strong symbol: the arrival in the Rice-Eccles Stadium of the Ground Zero flag, carried by eight U.S. athletes and three New York police officers.
Is this takeover of the Olympics for purely patriotic ends justified? The answer depends on individual feelings. The Olympic movement doesn't want to see "its" games turned into a cradle of propaganda -- even subconscious. Or that the games become a rallying point in the U.S. crusade against terror.
FRANCE
Le Monde, Paris, Feb. 12: The trial of Slobodan Milosevic before the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague is a milestone in the slow emergence of a world order governed by law.
This advance is unfortunately tarnished by the United States' denial of rights to the 457 prisoners taken in Afghanistan.
They are imprisoned without status -- at least to begin with, since, bowing to pressure, President Bush has finally had to accord prisoner status to those of Afghan nationality
Military tribunals: For the United States to want to try the Al-Qaida terrorists before military tribunals is contrary to the spirit of The Hague, because the International Criminal Tribunal will carefully watch the conditions of Milosevic's defense. Bush is giving arguments to the Yugoslav dictator, who denies the legitimacy of the court. Milosevic believes the tribunal represents not law but the "justice of the strong."
The legal status of the non-Afghan prisoners is undoubtedly vague. But if the wars of the 21st century must oppose democracies and international terrorists, it's an opportunity to move international law foward, not to forget about it. Justice is the best weapon against terrorism.
JAPAN
Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, Feb. 10: South Korean President Kim Dae-jung is encountering greater difficulty than at any other time since he took office. A series of shady deals have come to light: Government officials and Kim's relatives are suspected of involvement in illegal loans to venture businesses, and some of the president's proteges have been forced to step down to take the blame. Meanwhile, relations between North and South Koreas have reached a stalemate.
If only for the sake of pressing ahead with worthwhile policies -- including improving people's daily lives, which he cited in his New Year's news conference as a a national-policy target, Kim must demonstrate determination in thoroughly investigating a series of suspected misdeeds and eradicating corruption. Otherwise, he will not win the public's understanding and support for him.
Honeysuckle: Because of his resilience in surviving crises, Kim is often compared to honeysuckle, a perennial plant whose leaves do not wither even in winter. In his last year as president, he should proceed as tenaciously as a honeysuckle.
BRITAIN
The Independent, London, Feb. 13: Cool Britons may come and cool Britons may go, but the nominations for the Academy Awards, announced yesterday, suggest that, when it comes to screen performances, this country's real strength lies in its more established acting talents.
Dame Judi Dench, of course, has been nominated for best actress for her leading role in "Iris," while Jim Broadbent has been nominated for playing her husband, John Bayley, in the category of best actor in a supporting role. Sir Ian McKellen is, unsurprisingly, also nominated for best supporting actor for his part in "The Lord of the Rings." And we also wish the best to Helen Mirren and Dame Maggie Smith as they compete for the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role.
Center of gravity: The other striking aspect of this year's nominations, in what is for the most part a predictable list, is the representation of Australian and New Zealand actors. Scanning the nominations, we find the names of the Australians Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman, and a New Zealander, Peter Jackson. And of course much of "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed in New Zealand. The centre of gravity in the film industry may be shifting just a tiny distance.