SPAIN

La Vanguardia, Barcelona, June 12: More than nine months after Sept. 11, the world has undergone substantial changes in the areas of defense and security, but obviously no one is in a position to guarantee that Al-Qaida's terrorism will not act again.
Source of frustration
The many clues and loose ends left behind by the planners and instruments of that tragedy constitute a clear source of frustration, but also one of a certain hope inasmuch as a world which is more aware of those risks is also a safer world.
BRITAIN
The Independent, London, June 12: The indications are that, as often in the past, the Bush administration is overselling its latest intelligence coup in the war against terror. There still seems only the sketchiest of circumstantial evidence to link Abdullah al-Muhajir, the alleged "dirty bomber," with a terrorist atrocity in the United States.
After he had spent almost a month in custody, the U.S. authorities, it would seem, found themselves unable to charge him with any offense, and so have simply decided to detain him indefinitely under the catch-all category of being an "enemy combatant," effectively a prisoner of war.
Basic human liberties
But even if Mr. al-Muhajir had been caught red-handed leaving a suitcase containing Semtex and rods of cobalt 50 outside the White House, even that would not justify the denial of basic human liberties that we have witnessed in this case. Even war criminals deserve a trial. It is yet another example of the inconsistent, illogical and capricious application of "justice" to those who have found themselves hoovered up by the United States' war on terror.
JAPAN
Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo, June 10: The loya jirga should seek to maintain equilibrium among ethnic groups in allocating key posts in the new transitional government. This goal must be pursued first and foremost, despite anticipated bitter strife during the loya jirga's weeklong session. Maintaining such equilibrium will do much to bring all Afghans together under their new government.
An important task facing the new government will be to draft an Afghan constitution to be approved by a future loya jirga to be held in 18 months. This will be followed by a national election six months after the next national council, setting the stage for the launch of a democratically elected government in Afghanistan.
International aid
There are numerous challenges to be taken on by Afghanistan. It is impossible for the country to tackle these problems on its own. The global community must continue its aid to the war-devastated nation.
SINGAPORE
Straits Times, Singapore, June 12: Southeast Asia's haze problems, the result of wanton forest burning in Indonesia's western provinces, has a well known pathology. Plantation companies and nomadic cultivators burn exhausted trees and undergrowth for new planting as this makes sense to them. The method saves on labor and time, so it is cheap.
This is the backdrop the 10 ASEAN countries are up against as their governments continue in the coming months to ratify a treaty on haze management which they signed in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Wake-up call
The treaty has most of the elements that an international protocol should have, but it does not set down punitive sanctions for violations. Sending a case to the International Court of Justice (against Indonesia, say) is also problematic. Sanctions serve little useful purpose if the root causes remain. But at the least, it is not unreasonable to expect Indonesia to see the treaty as a wake-up call for it to discharge its duty of care to itself and its neighbors. Essentially it has to acknowledge it has run out of excuses. Action is wanted.
EGYPT
Egyptian Gazette, Cairo, June 11: Now on his sixth visit to the U.S. as Israeli Prime minister, Ariel Sharon is most likely to use his trip to further antagonize his strongest ally against the embattled Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
Sharon thinks that if he cannot eliminate his Palestinian nemesis physically, at least he can dump him politically. Last month, he made the resumption of the long-deadlocked talks with the Palestinians, conditional on the launch of massive reforms inside the Palestinian Authority institutions, devastated by successive Israeli blows.
Sharon has aired a desire to sideline Arafat from any peace negotiations, labeling him as chief of "a corrupt terrorist regime."Security