FINLAND

FINLAND
Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Oct. 14: The extremely reactionary attitude of the modern Roman Catholic Church has reached even higher realms of incredulity with its claims about condoms in the fight against AIDS. The Vatican strictly opposes birth control and hence also the use of condoms, and the stance has merely hardened during the tenure of Pope John Paul II.
Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who heads the Pontifical Council for the Family, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the HIV virus is able to pass through "the net" formed by a condom.
Superstitious beliefs
In developing countries people listen to the teachings of the Vatican in a totally different way than in developed Catholic countries, and the irresponsible comments by church leaders simply strengthens other similarly superstitious beliefs about this plague of our time.
The spread of the Catholic Church's teachings has led to tragic consequences in all countries where it wields influence. AIDS is causing terrible havoc on all the continents.
SWEDEN
Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm, Oct. 14: About 3,000 people born in Cuba live in Sweden, but despite its name, the Swedish-Cuban Association is an association without Cubans.
The association has, however, close contacts with and receives economic support from the Cuban Embassy in Stockholm. This is not illegal in our country, but had Sweden functioned like Cuba, the members of the Swedish-Cuban association would have run the risk of more than 20 years in prison.
'Peoples' democracy'
In Eastern Europe this social system was called "a peoples' democracy." The Swedish-Cuban Association calls Cuba a "democracy based on personality votes."
That's an ill-termed definition. Cuba is a dictatorship.
ITALY
La Stampa, Turin, Oct. 14: Yesterday was one of the worst days Iraq has seen since May, when it reached its so-called peace: Four British soldiers injured in Basra, an American soldier killed by a rocket in Tikrit and another by a mine in the north, while the Iraqi Governing Council oil minister miraculously escaped an attack in Baghdad. This is enough to confirm the impression that this looks like new Vietnam for the United States.
What is striking about the situation in Iraq is that guerrilla warfare groups all its enemies together: first the Americans, but alongside them the United Nations and all the Iraqis employed in reconstructing the country, or who in any case do not oppose the current government -- whether they are Shi'ites, Sunnis, Christians or Kurds.
Massacres
The risk that without a strong power in Baghdad there will be massacres throughout the country cannot be underestimated. Whatever happens, there is a long way to go in the Iraqi labyrinth where foreigners have set foot before the country achieves security and stability.
EGYPT
The Egyptian Gazette, Cairo, Oct. 14: Nothing can be more perfect for Israel to sinisterly wreck peace bids and foil its regional agenda than the current messy world circumstances. Last week's Israeli attack on Syria marked a new phase in the region's long-running feud. That the outrageous strike was the deepest into Syrian territory in 30 years is not the only reason. Its aftermath is what counts the most.
Hours after the raid, U.S. President George W. Bush, whose country's credibility rates have hit rock-bottom in the Arab region, came out to state that he sees nothing wrong with the Israeli act. Worse, he blessed similar future action that Israel may take allegedly to defend itself.
Illegal practices
Israel seems to have succeeded in misleading the world, especially the United States, into believing that its illegal practices are pursued to fight purported regional terrorism and in self-defense. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But as things stand, Israel will perpetrate more atrocities and get away with it in this muddled time of world history. Peace? A pipe dream.
BRITAIN
The Guardian, London, Oct. 13: The European Union must ask itself some searching questions in the light of last week's budgetary events. Faced with the prospect of France breaching the EU's 3 percent ceiling on budget deficits in 2004 for the third successive year, EU finance ministers caved in and gave France another extra year to comply. Once again the rules have been bent in the interests of preserving European unity. Ironically, the decision to allow France to carry on spending was the right one economically.
Latest indulgence
Politically, however, the EU's latest indulgence towards Jacques Chirac stores up problems for the future. The EU rule is that deficits must not exceed 3 percent of GDP. Now both France and Germany have exceeded the limit. What will now happen when smaller countries do the same? If they are let off, it would make a mockery of the system. If they are not, the big countries will be enforcing rules on smaller ones that they do not observe themselves.