JAPAN

JAPAN
Yomiuri Shimbun, Tokyo, March 27: The Ground, Air and Maritime self-defense forces will be placed under an integrated chain of command on Monday, abolishing the current system under which these three arms of the Self-Defense Forces have each had their own respective command channels.
The United States has maintained a joint command structure since the beginning of the Cold War. During the 1990s, many major powers around the world established joint headquarters for their military forces. Given this, the Defense Agency's decision to place the three SDF arms under a joint chain of command represents an effort to meet needs of the changing times.
Unit of employment
The United States also intends to set up a new headquarters responsible for commanding elements of the army, navy, air force and marine corps -- called a unit of employment -- at Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture as part of its realignment of its forces in Japan. The plan is aimed at reacting flexibly to emergencies in the Far East and neighboring areas. The SDF's new chain of command will likely make it possible for the SDF to cooperate more smoothly with the U.S. forces.
The importance of civilian control by the prime minister and the Defense Agency director general will remain unchanged even under the SDF's new chain of command. It will also be necessary to fully discuss how political leaders should be involved in making final decisions about SDF operations.
SWEDEN
Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, March 28: Europe needs leadership. At the same time, the political landscape is dominated by politicians whose "best-by" date has passed.
Tony Blair was like a beacon, nowadays one that is seldom lit. Blair has done his job and his leadership is winding up.
Silvio Berlusconi had a face-lift, while his politics have not. Berlusconi made an effort, but left Italy as the sick man of Europe.
France could enter the race. But instead of being firm on reforms, President Jacques Chirac shies away whenever the "parliament of the street" marches against Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
The exception in this dreary group is Christian Democrat Angela Merkel, who, since becoming Germany's chancellor last year, has shown that processes and structures are not everything in politics, but that people play a decisive role.
Merkel's image may be gray, but she has shaken life into Germany. Belief in the future has returned.
Of course, the chancellor has been helped along by an improved outlook for exports. But she has also taken charge.
DENMARK
Politiken, Copenhagen, March 28: Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party was punished with a third place because of a chaotic situation following the Orange Revolution with unfulfilled promises of better living conditions and a battle against corruption.
And he was punished for the split in the Orange flank after fired Yulia Tymoshenko as government leader last year.
Corruption
The bitter election campaign between the two orange parties, as well as mutual accusations of corruption and power abuse, gave (pro-Russian opposition leader) Viktor Yanukovych's camp a great advantage.
However, the electorate didn't turn their backs on the revolution but rather forced the orange parties back together.
The election result still points toward a pro-Western course, with visions of European Union and NATO memberships.
The election also showed that Ukraine remains deeply divided on which course to choose: toward the West or toward the East, back to Moscow's arms.
BRITAIN
Financial Times, London, March 29: Andrew Card might be best remembered as the man who whispered into George W. Bush's ear, "a second plane hit the second tower -- America is under attack", as he was reading to children on September 11, 2001. On that occasion the White House chief of staff had no choice but to keep his president informed. But on too many others those working for the president have felt unable to pass on home truths.
By all accounts Mr. Card was a competent administrator. So too is Josh Bolten, Mr. Bush's new chief of staff who was previously director of the Office of Management and Budget. But replacing one dedicated administrator with another is unlikely to restore Mr. Bush's tattered fortunes.
Mr. Bush faces the prospect of almost three years of a lame duck presidency. Once considered an asset, the president is now spurned by fellow Republicans who are facing a tough battle to retain control of Congress in the November midterm elections. He has become such a liability that it is now hard for his administration to get a fair hearing on the Hill even for its more thoughtful legislative proposals.
Fiscal record
Mr. Bush's problems extend far beyond growing public doubts about the wisdom of his administration's decision to invade Iraq or the ineptitude of postwar planning. They also extend beyond the controversy about his fiscal record, in which deficit spending has been fueled by tax cuts at a time when the nation is told it is engaged in a long-term war to defend its values. They even go beyond the fact that Mr. Bush is no longer automatically trusted by a majority to safeguard America's security -- the one issue on which he had consistently outpolled his rivals.
At the root of Mr. Bush's low credibility is a reputation for incompetence. It now disables almost everything he does. It was reinforced by his administration's poor handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster last year and the ill-judged nomination of Harriet Miers -- Mr. Bush's personal lawyer -- to the Supreme Court. On Iraq, it is bolstered by almost continual revelations about the administration's track record of deafness to independent advice on the importance of rapidly restoring Iraqi utilities and on anticipating and then minimizing the risks of a sectarian conflict...
The president can still retrieve his credibility and public trust if he acts decisively to reinvigorate his administration. This means appointing experienced and independent figures to important White House positions -- people with the stature to tell the president when he is wrong.