FRANCE

FRANCE
Le Figaro, Paris, Oct. 7: You shouldn't mock Arnold Schwarzenegger; what California invents, America adopts and Europe ends up imitating.
You can laugh at the "Terminator," running for governor of America's most populous state, stomping through his speeches with the strongest teutonic accent since Henry Kissinger. ...
You can denounce the populist wave (that supported) Schwarzenegger's candidacy as an example of a democracy gone mad. But this is the same kind of groundswell that made Ronald Reagan the first actor to be elected governor of California, and then president.
Changing political map
Celebrity isn't Schwarzenegger's only asset. He's in tune with a changing political map ... voters from Latin America ... represent 30 million Hispanic citizens nationwide.
Yet California can't just be reduced to the glitter of Hollywood; for the weak, the poor and blacks, it's a tough place to live. Schwarzenegger must not forget this truth: like all promised lands, California is also a place of hardship.
JORDAN
The Jordan Times, Amman, Oct. 7: Amidst widespread condemnation of the Israeli air raid on Syria, Israel continues to defend its attack as a form of legitimate self-defense. Israel claims that the camp that it attacked is a training ground for Islamic Jihad.
Israel is therefore once again pinned against the entire international community but hopes to escape condemnation by having Washington veto the Syrian-sponsored resolution condemning the attack and calling on Israel to cease and desist from perpetrating acts of aggression against Syria.
Emergency
What is needed now is de-escalation and not escalation in the area. The declaration of emergency in the Palestinian territories by President Yasser Arafat could be the start of a more determined Palestinian effort to reign in Palestinian militants, who continue to take the law into their hands and compromise the supreme Palestinian National interests.
The Palestinian militants need to be controlled and brought under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority. It is the only way to give peace a chance on condition that Israel will reciprocate this Palestinian determination to bring order to its ranks with a similar move to de-escalate the spiral of violence raging in the area.
BRITAIN
The Times, London, Oct. 6: There was never any doubt that Akhmad Kadyrov, the former anti-Russian rebel, would win the presidential election in Chechnya. With all credible rivals already disqualified or forced to withdraw, the man accused of using his 7,000-strong private militia to intimidate any opposition could hardly fail. What is more, he had the endorsement of (Russian) President Vladimir Putin, who ordered a military alert in the turbulent Caucasus region to guard the polling stations, close markets and ban from the roads all lorries that could harbor suicide bombers.
Mr. Kadyrov is an unsavory character. Renouncing his decision to join the jihad against Russia in 1994, he has since used his support for the Kremlin not to curb the excesses of Russia's undisciplined troops or to push for more aid to bombed-out Chechen civilians, but to build up his own power, his private army and the wealth amassed by extortion.
Flawed election
Nevertheless, his flawed election is extremely important to President Putin. Chechnya brought the Russian leader to power; but it hobbles his dealings with the outside world and his efforts to push reform at home.
Yesterday's election will help to stabilize Chechnya only if it is followed by a real change in the Kremlin. First, Mr. Putin must get a grip on the Army, enforcing discipline, stamping out corruption and arms trading, and punishing human rights violators. Secondly, he must ensure that some of the money earmarked for reconstruction is paid out and used as intended, instead of disappearing into warlords' accounts. Finally, he must force the new president to administer the ruined rump of his country fairly and according to the law.
ISRAEL
Haaretz, Tel Aviv, Oct. 7: A Palestinian training camp in Syrian territory, close to Damascus, was chosen as the target for the Israel Defense Forces' response. It appears, however, that its principal purpose was not to bring death and destruction, but rather to steer Syrian President Bashar Assad away from supporting actions against Israel.
Israel has the right to move against the facilities, activists and leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other organizations anywhere and at any time; but this does not testify to the wisdom of such moves.
Tight control
The slope on which Syria and Israel could slide down into a conflict between them -- whether it be in their own territories, or in Lebanon -- is a steep and slippery one. There is a need for tight control to prevent a move planned as minimalist from leading to a major escalation.