FINLAND

FINLAND

Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Oct. 29: The strike has several negative effects. Iraq and the United States have not yet agreed on future principles governing the presence of American troops, and one of the points of disagreement is precisely over the U.S. right to operate as it sees fit in Iraq or from Iraqi territory.

The raid across the border was also a stab at Europe’s leading nations who are trying to improve speaking relations with Syria. The United States carried out the raid only a day before the Syrian foreign minister’s negotiating trip to Britain. France immediately criticized the raid and accused the United States of killing children and other civilians during it.

Principles of sovereignty

Even a brief attack into the territory of a foreign country without its permission violates the principles of sovereignty. The United States is yet again a degree less credible if it criticizes similar actions by Israel, Russia or other countries.

BRITAIN

The Times, London, Oct. 29: Yesterday the first legal sale of ivory in southern Africa for almost a decade took place in Namibia. Seven tons of elephant tusks were sold to buyers from China and Japan in the first of a series of auctions. In total, more than 100 tons of ivory equivalent to around 10,000 elephants will be sold by Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa in the next fortnight.

The decision to hold the auctions has alarmed some conservationists. The ivory trade was banned in 1989 after poaching had devastated some elephant populations. Wildlife groups and other African nations argue that the sales will legitimize the ivory trade, make regulation more difficult and spur the destructive activities of poachers.

Weighty concerns

These are weighty concerns. Yet there is a good case for allowing the sale, under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. CITES has undertaken to scrutinize the sales in Japan and China to ensure that legal shipments of ivory are not mixed with contraband.

The sales of ivory are of stockpiles; they do not endanger existing elephant populations. And the proceeds will go to elephant conservation projects. Safeguarding biodiversity is an essential cause. But effective management of the environment is crucial to it. Closely monitored sales of ivory pass that test.

LEBANON

Daily Star, Beirut, Oct. 24: U.S. officials have tried to bully Iraqi leaders into accepting a controversial agreement that would govern the presence of American troops in the country until 2011. They have warned that failure to conclude the deal would have disastrous consequences and might bring about a reversal of the security gains that the country has witnessed in recent months. But the Iraqis would be better off to ignore these hysterical warnings and simply refuse to negotiate any deal with U.S. President George W. Bush.

Colossal incompetence

First, the danger of not signing the deal has been wildly exaggerated, because the Iraqis would in all likelihood be able to convince the Security Council to extend the current United Nations resolution that authorizes the foreign military presence in the country.

Second, the Bush administration has shown colossal incompetence at virtually every step of the way through its Iraq misadventure, and there is little reason to believe that they are showing better judgment at this juncture. Are we to believe that the same team that sparked an insurgency by disbanding the national army ... and brought U.S. horrors such as Abu Ghraib is now skillfully looking out for the interests of the Iraqi people?

The Iraqis would be wise to err on the side of caution and simply wait for this administration to leave office before concluding a direct pact with the Americans. By refusing to grant Bush a deal, they will send a strong signal that Iraq is a sovereign nation that cannot be bullied into submission. And they may also be able to negotiate a less controversial pact with the next American president, who will hopefully show better judgment — and more regard for the lives and dignity of the Iraqi people.

INDIA

Times of India, New Delhi, Oct. 29: Could the 2008 presidential elections in the United States mark a turning point in the general trend of young people’s disenchantment with politics?

We won’t know for certain until Nov. 4, when the American elections will take place. But with little more than a week to go, all indications are that the answer is “yes.” There are 44 million young Americans of the so-called millennial generation eligible to vote, about 21 percent of the electorate. And a record number of them turned up to vote in the primaries and caucuses this year, reportedly double the 2000 turnout.

Hot-button issues

So what’s driving this renaissance? First, the historic nature of this election, with hot-button issues like the financial crisis, the Iraq war, energy security and global warming under discussion, has perhaps motivated youth to get involved. And second, use of the internet and new communication technologies makes it easier for them to get involved than ever before. ... Pollsters and analysts are expecting youth to make the difference this time around. The question is, will the American youth’s greater involvement in politics signal a similar revival in other parts of the world? It’s to be hoped that this phenomenon is replicated in India, where a significant portion of the electorate is under the age of 30.